


Than I've Ever Been

by dnawhite76, Prubbs



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Boudior, Flirting with stickie notes, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, The best dog in the universe, Weird Sandwiches, flirting with food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-05-31 15:52:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19429198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnawhite76/pseuds/dnawhite76, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prubbs/pseuds/Prubbs
Summary: What the plot was supposed to be;"If you like it, I'll do a session for you. Your boyfriend will love it."What the Plot actually is;"It was one of the weirdest sandwiches he'd ever had, but had been delicious."This fic was meant to be a lot of things-- but ended up just being really cute and strange. If you like Tim and Jay, you will probably like this. But if you think it's too strange, well, we did warn you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching , of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” - **Aaron Siskind**_

**CHAPTER ONE**  


“Give me a big laugh,” Jason directed through the peephole on the back of his camera. “Forced is fine as long as it's audible.”

Dick laughed immediately, throwing his head back in a guffaw that Jason would have poked fun at if he didn't have his professional face on. He had known Dick long enough to know that the laugh was genuine. All of his laughs were real and easy and shared way too much with people he didn't know. He guessed that was just kind of what happened when you grew up with a dad like Bruce Wayne carting you around to galas and balls. Dick learned how to charm and schmooze people so well that eventually it became real.

Barbara, however, was raised by a very different kind of man. 

“No,” she said, shaking her head looking at her fiancé like he was insane. 

Jason peaked over the top of the camera. “Just one big fake laugh," he told her and Dick immediately fell into it again as she pursed her lips and shook her head. He groaned and dropped the camera. “Babs…” he started. 

“Don't  _ Babs _ me!” she huffed turning red. “It'll look stupid!” 

“I’m a professional photographer," Jason deadpanned at her. “I’m not going to give you the stupid pictures.” 

“But you  _ will _ take them!” she accused him and turned to Dick with big eyes. She had been very wary about letting Jason take their engagement photos. He couldn’t really blame her. They had met in high school when Jason was in his peak 'shithead' phase, doing whatever he could to let her know that she was unwelcome in Dick and his friendship. But Jason was Dick’s best friend and Barbara was a much better person than him- so no matter what her personal feelings may be, she put up with Jason. He could tell that giving him this tiny bit of leverage over her big day was killing her. But it also didn’t hurt that he was doing it for free. It wasn’t like they couldn’t afford his fees. Dick was a Wayne, they could afford any photographer in the world. People who shot for Vogue or Life, let alone a small start up photographer like Jason whose company consisted of him and his assistant/roommate, Stephanie. But Barbara’s father had insisted on fronting the bill, and Dick had begged Jason for the discount.

Jason was a good photographer. He got a lucky gig coming out of college and was fortunate enough to keep booking them after. He had been displayed in wedding magazines all over Gotham and Metropolis. He could expand if he wanted too. In fact, he knew that he should. He was taking in more business than him and Steph could manage and she would be leaving soon to pursue a career of her own. But Jason liked being small. He was always completely booked and people just kept lining up to have him. It made him niche, and as an artist that was exactly what he wanted. 

He shot a look at Stephanie as the couple in front of them bickered and she tapped her watch at him to remind him of their next appointment. Jason had to remind himself that Barbara was the bride, and his soon to be best friend in law, as he pulled his glasses back down to the bridge of his nose and started to pack his camera up. “Okay,” he surrendered. “No laughing. Got it.” He sighed. “I think I have everything I need anyway.” 

Barbara immediately relaxed but Dick frowned at him, stepping out of the posed position as his fiancee settled into an easy conversation with Stephanie. “You’re leaving already?” he whined at him and Jason tried not to roll his eyes. 

He failed. “Dude, we have been here for two hours.” he told him showing Dick the time on his phone. “I’ll be lucky to get the studio set up before my next appointment gets there.” 

Dick grinned at that, a twinkle of naughtiness brightening his eyes like a kid seeing a porn for the first time. “So it’s one of  _ those _ ?” he asked baring all of his teeth in the wideness of his grin. 

“Yeah, one of those.” Jason poked him in the side and zipped his bag. “A repeat client that I would like to keep happy.” More than repeat. This was the third appointment she had booked in five months and Jason was starting to get the idea that it was the experience more than the photos that she was after. He wasn’t stupid. He knew that he was attractive. He knew that when people came to get intimate pictures taken that at least part of the reason that they booked him was that they liked the way that he looked. It was the way the the boudoir business worked in Gotham. The client wanted an experience, or at least the fantasy of the possibility of one. He would have thought it annoying if it didn’t pay so well. 

Dick just shook his head at him and laughed his same, painfully easy laugh. “I just don’t know how you do it, man.” And of course he didn’t. Dick and Barbara were destined for each other. He had never considered anyone but her from the moment they met. 

Jason would never be that lucky. “Happily and with tight boxers.” He smirked before he called for Steph that they needed to get going. 

Barbara gave him a tight smile as they left, not bothering to try and hug him. He threw a salute her way. He grabbed the bigger bag from Stephanie throwing the lighting equipment over his shoulder. She watched the couple as they packed up the car before she slid into the passenger seat. “One day you are really going to have to tell me what you did to get her to hate you so much.”

“Not enough time.” He smirked and pulled the throngs of people heading home from the office. He drove as fast as he could, but it didn't make much of a difference. Talia Al Ghul was standing in front of the building waiting to be buzzed in. Her head was wrapped in a delicate scarf and face covered by oversized sunglasses. It had been weird seeing the multimillionaire on his front step when she had shown up for the first time almost five months ago. Her thousand dollar stilettos tapped impatiently on the jagged stone of the old textile loft building as she waited to be let in. But now that he had seen more of her out of the structured bodices than in them that it didn't seem so odd anymore. 

She made a face at him when they met her at the gate door, her eyes briefly giving Stephanie notice before they combed up Jason in an annoyed but appreciative way. “You are late,” she told him as he put his keys in the gate. Her rich accent always sending a small thrill up his spine despite her overall bossy and impatient tones. 

“Got held up at our last stop.” He opened the door with a crooked smile and held the gate for her. “Ladies first.” He offered. 

“Don't mind if I do.” Stephanie beamed at him as she pushed in front of Talia, ruffling her already very ruffled feathers. She fumed silently as Jason closed the gate to the elevator and pinched Stephanie before twisting the key for the top floor. The building was so old that it opened right up into their apartment. Darcy was making noises in his room Like he was being murdered. Jason shot Stephanie a look and she rolled her eyes, accepting that walking his dog was her duty as penance. He lead Talia to the master bedroom that he had converted into his office and shoot space for  _ those _ kinds of sessions. His desk pushed into the corner of the room, leaving the rest open and light by the natural light of the almost entire windowed wall. A large bed covered in black satin sheets stood made against the other wall surrounded by light filters, begging to be trussed up and used. 

He set his bags on his desk and started pulling out his equipment as she unwrapped her head and placed her glasses on the chair next to him. “Would you like Stephanie to observe the appointment?” he asked even though he already knew her answer. He had hired Steph because she needed an internship for school, but even if she hadn't been talented, having a female assistant made women feel more comfortable when it came to baring it all. 

Talia’s lips twitched and her eyes combed him again. “No,” she said simply walking over to the bed as he snapped his first lens on. She slipped out of her coat letting it pool to the floor at her feet, revealing that she was wearing only a lacy red lingerie set and her heels. “Shall we begin?” She asked sinking onto the bed. 

Jason pushed his glasses up into his hair and snapped a photo as she smirked and motioned him forward. 

-

Stephanie glared over her bowl of cereal from where she was sitting on the counter as Jason walked Talia back to the elevator. She shot her a milky smile that dribbled down her chin and Jason stepped into Talia's line of sight to block the mess that was his friend. “I should have the photos bound and sent to you in two weeks,” he told her and flipped Stephanie off behind his back. 

Talia ran a delicate hand over his shoulder and frowned. “Make it the end of this week and I'll pay you double.”

He opened the gate for her. “A gift for someone special?”

“You could say that.” She smirked and he locked her in. Letting the lift take her down. 

“ _ You could saaaaaaaay that _ ,” Stephanie mocked when she was out of earshot, with nearly a perfect accent marred only by the food she refused to chew first. She swallowed hard and grimaced. “I cannot fucking stand that woman. She has the biggest hard on for you, you know that? Who needs three fucking sets of naked photos of themselves?” 

“She pays the bills. And I could use the good referral.” Jason shrugged and walked toward the kitchen/living room area, dropping over the back of the couch with a thud. His entire body relaxed, at least until his very giant German Shepherd mutt of a “lap dog” stepped onto his stomach and pushed all the air out of him. He had gotten Darcy from a shelter after college and he'd been considered a senior dog them. He was pushing sixteen now but even though he was moving slower, the only sign of his age was how grumpy he was. Stephanie hated him. But he also hated Stephanie, so it was fair. 

“I'm sure she’d like to give you one, if you know what I mean.” She grinned with a wiggle of her brow as she came around the other side with her bowl and poked Jason's feet. He lifted them to let her sit and redeposited them in her lap making Darcy grumble a growl. “Calm down Satan,” she grumped at him through another mouthful of cereal. Darcy growled at her again and Jason scratched behind his ear until he laid his head on his shoulder and quieted himself. “It's exactly this shit that I won't miss when I'm in England.” She poked at him like it was no big deal. She had been dropping it in casually every day until they got used to the idea of her leaving. 

“Darcy will miss you,” Jason said offhandedly and he snuggled deeper into him. 

She snorted. “Darcy would throw me out the window if he had thumbs.” Jason didn't say anything and she grinned. “Are you just using your dog as a way to say you'll miss me?” 

“I'll miss the space you take up. And the mess you leave me.” He grudgingly told her and she made a face. “What?”

“Yeah, so-- about that extra space…” she started. 

“No," he told her already annoyed. She had been pestering him to get another roommate since she had taken the job. “You know you are only here because school housing sucks and you are useful to me.” He let her work for the rent. He needed help with time management more than he needed the money and it was nice to have another eye. 

“But you will never talk to anyone again if you don't have someone here," she complained. “You'll just work all of the time and no one will find your body after Talia finally snaps and murders you.” He let out a hard laugh at that and she smiled sensing the upper ground. She took advantage of it. “Please?” She begged him. “He is a great guy. Really clean. He's just been living in his dead parents huge house by himself…”

“Dude.” 

“ _ Pleeeeeease _ ?” She asked in her Talia accent. “He’s so depressing. You two would hit it off so well.”

He pulled his feet off of her because she was a traitor and got off the couch. He went to the kitchen, feeling the full weight of her pout on his back as he cracked open a beer. He took a long drink, letting her stew. She had already guilted him and he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing it. “Who is this guy anyway?”

\---

“C2K. You've got Tim. How can I assist you?” 

“Uh, yeah. I've got this friend who needs to get out of his house.” He pulled the phone away from his face and realized he'd answered his personal cell. “Is that really how you answer the phone?” Her voice went deep and monotone as she continued, “Yeah. This is Tim. I hate my job.” 

“I don't hate it.” 

“Give me two things you like about it.”

“I get to work from home.” He stared at the pause screen on his TV. He couldn't think of a second reason. Stephanie sensed this even through the phone. 

“I propose this. You take the job offer you got and join me in London-- or you take my room.” 

“ _ Or _ I could just keep working here and living in my house.” It wasn't going to be his house for much longer. The trust wasn't going to cover the cost past the end of the year. He'd been tempted by the offer he'd gotten a few weeks before. He could run network security for a global corporation. The problem was that he hadn't applied for the position. The offer had just come from the president himself. Stephanie had been urging him to take the job. It would mean money that he hadn't had in almost a year. He'd get to actually do something with his day. He didn't know why he was hesitating. 

“But you will never talk to anyone again if you don't have someone here.” She had been using the same argument for the last month. He pushed most of his friends away after his parents died in a car accident on the way home from his graduation. Stephanie and Conner were the only two that he talked to anymore. “You'll just work all the time and no one will find your body after you choke on a cheese puff.” He looked down at the half empty jug of cheese puffs. She knew him too well. “Please?” She whined, drawing the vowels out. “He is a great guy. Really clean. He just works and walks his dog. The dog is a demon, but a really cute demon.” 

He didn't respond. Silence stretched. Stephanie was his oldest friend. They'd met in a free photography class the city was doing when they were thirteen. Ten years later and she was about to move to London for her dream job while he was sitting on the floor in front of his couch covered in orange dust staring at the pause screen on a video game he'd already beaten twice. 

“He's a sad fuck just like you. You'll get along great.” Stephanie added, her voice losing that bubbly feel. “At least agree to meet him?” 

He knew if he said no that she'd stop asking. She'd move across the ocean. He'd be alone. 

“Fine,” he sighed. 

-

“Are you sure?” 

“No,” he admitted. He hadn't been able to lie to Conner since he'd met him. He'd been in Hawaii on Spring Break with a group of his friends from school. Tim had literally walked into him on the beach. Then smacked Conner in the face with the surfboard he'd been carrying. Conner had spent the day teaching him how to surf, and they'd spent the evening talking, and the night not talking. Three days later he'd left the island with a boyfriend. “If I take the job I'd be with Stephanie, but we'd be even further apart.” 

“Do you really want to spend the rest of your life answering tech questions?” Conner asked. Tim chuckled when he continued in an overly peppy voice “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” 

“I wish life worked that way,” he sighed. 

“It doesn't babe.” Conner had flown in for his parents funeral even though they'd only been dating for a few months at that time. He'd stayed for the summer. Tim was pretty sure that he was the only thing that got him through those first few months. “Go meet this guy. If you hate him, then take the job. If you think you can tolerate him then I say you stay and keep trying to figure out what you want.” 

“Okay. Oh have you looked at San Francisco?” he asked changing the subject. Conner wanted off the island. He'd been looking for places where he could use his degree. They hadn't said it, but he hoped that once Conner picked a location that they could be together. 

“I added it to the list yesterday. One of my professors has a friend there looking for some research assistants.” Conner went on talking about his classes and the weather on the island. He was grateful that he accepted the topic change. 

-

Tim stumbled through the coffee shop door. The bike messenger that had nearly hit him flipped him off when he looked back. He'd forgotten how awful downtown Gotham could be. When he looked up everyone around the door was staring at him. He let the floor shut behind him. Stephanie had just described Jason as the hot guy with the white stripe in his hair. He looked around and noticed the guy he was pretty sure he was meeting.  _ Fuck _ . Stephanie was right. He lifted his hand in greeting when the guy's eyes landed on him. He got a smirk in return. He headed over. 

“You are Jason right?” 

“Tim?” He nodded. Jason grinned and he took the seat across from him. They sat in silence for a few minutes. He looked around the shop. It had been a while since he'd been out. “Okay, I have to ask. What's with the head band?” Tim flicked his eyes over to Jason then touched his head. His eyes widened and he ripped off the Hello Kitty headband. He shoved it in his pocket and pat at his hair until he was pretty sure it was laying flat. 

“If I just said Stephanie would you understand?” Jason grinned. He sighed. “She gave me packs of headbands when I complained that my hair got in my way when I shaved. All of them are Hello Kitty.” He fiddled with the sugar dispenser on the table while Jason chuckled. He was even more attractive when he smiled. It didn't seem like it was something he did very often. “So, you want a roommate?”

“Not really,” Jason said. 

“Huh?” He blinked. “Then why?” 

“Can I just say Stephanie?” Tim snorted in amusement. Jason went on to describe the apartment. Then he talked about his dog. He was mesmerizing as he talked about Darcy. He had heard enough stories about the demon dog from Stephanie to know that the dog only liked Jason. He hated most other people and tolerated the ones that he didn't hate. “Do you want to see it?” Jason asked. 

They walked the few blocks to the building. It was old, but he could see the charm as Jason pulled down the fence on the elevator. He watched him as they rose. He'd heard things from Stephanie, stories about stupid things they had done, but he couldn't imagine the man in front of him doing any of it. He didn't know what he had expected, but this wasn't it. Jason pulled the gate open and waved him forward. He stepped out into the open space. It was big, couches shoved off into one side around a TV mounted to the wall. The kitchen looked like it was used often. He knew Stephanie couldn't boil water, so it was another thing he added to the list of things he knew about Jason. 

Jason pointed things out as they walked further into the room. “My office is over there.” He pointed to the door set aside from the others. “I'll have to ask that you don't go in there.” He looked at the door and shrugged. “Your room is here. Mine is the last door. Bathroom in between. I use the one in my office most of the time so this would be yours.” He stepped into Stephanie's room when Jason continued toward his door. He looked at the pictures Stephanie had on her wall, pictures of their friends from high school. Their trips during the summer. He touched one of them laughing and posing with a statue. Half of her things were packed there were only a few days left before she'd be loading it all up. 

He heard the sound of nails scratching along hardwood floors before he had a dog sitting at his feet. He blinked down at the dog and held his hand out. The dog sniffed his fingers before licking them and wagging his tail. Jason rushed into the room and seemed to freeze as he took in the sight. 

“Steph was fucking with me wasn't she?” he asked as he pet Darcy’s head. The dog scooted forward but kept his butt on the ground. Tim smiled as he pet him and asked, “You're a good boy, aren't you? Steph is a liar.” 

\---

“So how did it go?” Stephanie asked when she got back from the courthouse, work visa in hand. She dropped onto one of the barstools digging through her bag to find one of the thousand things she had stuffed into it. “Are you best friends now? I told you he was a sad sack right?” She stopped digging and blinked when Jason didn't answer, waiting for him to cut her off like always. “Oh no, I don't like that face. What happened? 

He frowned down at his cutting board full of tomatoes not knowing what to tell her. Tim had left a little over an hour ago with a parting wave and pet to Darcy who had followed him around the entire time he was there. 

“Nothing happened," he told her. It was true. Tim seemed like a genuinely okay guy. He actually reminded him a little of Dick when they were kids- before he found out that he was hot and decided the shirts were outlawed. They talked about boring roommate shit and he laughed too hard at Jason's jokes. 

“But?” Stephanie asked, dropping her bag onto the floor having given up her search, and crossed her arms. 

“Who said but?” he asked grumpily throwing the tomatoes into the pot. 

“You did.” she accused. “With your eyes.” 

“I haven't even really looked at you.” 

“That's how I know!” She waited at he poured the browned beef and onion mixture into the pot before she lost it and demanded, “Seriously, Jason. What is it?”

He put the lid on the chili and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling with a groan. “Darcy loved him," he told her as though that were the worst thing in the world. 

Stephanie blinked slowly, “What.” 

“He loved him, Steph," he repeated sharply. “Followed him around for an entire hour. He snuggled with him. You didn't tell me he was a fucking dog wizard.”

“Jason…” she groaned with her head in her hands, elbows resting on the bar of the kitchen. “Why do you always have to make this a big deal? The demon likes someone. It was bound to happen eventually. That doesn't mean that he is the end all, be all of men.”

Jason fixed her with a deadpan glare and pointed at the lump of fur on the couch. “That dog is the end all, be all of dogs. He knows when a person is good or bad, that's why he puts up with you. But when he likes someone…Please tell me he is straight.”

“He has a boyfriend.” 

“Great. He can go live with him then.”

Stephanie bit her lip and made a pained face. “He lives in Hawaii.” Jason closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Maybe if he pinched hard enough this entire problem would go away. Stephanie wouldn't move and he wouldn't have to live with a totally hot, unavailable gay dude who liked his dog. “Please Jason, I'm all he's got. And he won't come to London with me, so you have to make sure he's okay.”

“Why does that make it  _ my _ job?” he demanded. “You know I have rules, the entire reason I let you move in here is because I could never bang you. Don't sleep where you eat, don't fuck where you work.” 

“Jay,” she was in front of him, taking the wooden spoon out of his hand so that she could pull his to her chest, sinking to her knees in desperation. He had to bend over to keep from being yanked down. “I promise, no, I swear to you that Tim is the most repulsive, inconsiderate human ever. He is impossible to be attracted to. Your dog likes him because he is so depressing. Please, Jason. I need you to do this.”

He didn't want to. “Steph…”

“Please, please, please, please, please-"

He really didn't want to, “Steph.” 

“ _ Pleeeeeeease _ , please, pleasepleaseplease!” 

More than anything he knew that this was a horrible idea. A mistake that he had made too many times before and knew that he should run now while he could still see it coming. 

“Steph!” She stopped, eyes wide and relentless, her entire body muttering as she squeezed his hands. “Give me my spoon back. She let go of his hands and released his spoon, not getting up from the floor. “He can stay," he told her and she rocketed up, jumping around like an insane person. “On one condition.” She stopped. “You don't get to hate me when I eventually break down and fuck him,” he told her stirring the pot and holding it out for her to taste. 

She stole it from him and groaned. “Tell you what, you make him eat anything other than cheese puffs for every meal and he'll forget Con ever existed.”

“What the fuck kind of name is Con?”

-

It was short for Conner apparently. And Con himself wasn't short by any means of any word. He looked at picture after picture, scrolling through Tim’s Facebook page shamelessly in his office when he knew that he should have been working on Talia’s photos. It had taken him less than two minutes to sort through any Timothy Drakes outside of Gotham to find the one that was still in it. Tim Drake, twenty-three, IT consultant for blah blah blah. Jason sipped at his coffee and scrolled passed all the boring stuff to his pictures where he was immediately forced to ogle the behemoth of a man known as Conner Kent. 

He was shirtless in almost every photo, surfing or running or taking those horribly douche gym selfies where he talked about all of the “progress” he had made. But Jason wasn't sure if Con had ever not had muscles. He had so many that Jason didn't even know what half of them were. 

He clicked out of his profile photos and went to the tagged pictures, a cute photo of Tim laughing at him was the cover of the album. There was a lot of Tim laughing. Tim grinning. Tim running down a beach at full speed, wind whipping his hair back. He was so fucking photogenic with his perfect skin and eyes and hair that Jason itched to be the one taking those pictures. Capturing those moments just for him. Jason's chest tightened until he had to exit the browser completely and sat back in his chair. Darcy nuzzled into his hand and whimpered, making him laugh humorlessly at how ridiculous he was being. He was an idiot. He went back to work. 

-

He had a few days alone when Stephanie left, Tim's move in set for about a week after. He tried to clean all of the spaces that still had her old clutter but appointments kept piling on, and without someone to help with the load he was running in circles. He hadn't slept in two days when Tim's move in date finally came up, but he'd finished Talia’s photo book. He left the key at the front desk with a note as he ran to the post office, telling Tim that he’d be right back and not to freak out if he saw a crazy red head running around. She was his next appointment. 

He was only gone for twenty minutes, but a town car with an open trunk was in front of the building looking almost completely unloaded. He grabbed the last two boxes and slid into the elevator, pulling the gate down before he hit the button for the top floor. It was weirdly quiet when he got up to the apartment. He gathered the boxes up and called, “Tim?” as he walked past the kitchen. 

“I-I...here," he stammered from the open door to his bedroom, calling Jason forward as a woman's laugh trilled after it. Shit. 

Kori was standing in the middle of Tim’s room in nothing but a purple babydoll nightie and matching thong. Tim looked like his head was about to explode. Jason dropped the boxes and crossed his arms. “What the hell, Star?” 

“What?” She demanded with a plump pout, “I was just asking which outfit I should wear.” She held up a hanger with strips of Black leather hanging off of it. “I got this one last week! I'm honestly not sure which one Roy would like better.” 

He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of Tim’s room grumbling sorry to him as he shut the door, “You know he’d like the black one better.” He accused her. “Can you at least try to be normal for an hour? He just moved in and I promised Steph I would take care of him so… can you not?” 

She held her hands up and smirked, walking with him back to his studio. “A little touchy about the new boy hum?” she asked raising a brow at him. “Interesting.”

“It's not.” He deadpanned and pushed her towards the bathroom door. “Go get changed.”

-

Tim was in the living room when they finished their session. Kori was back in her normal clothes and blew him a kiss and made Jason promise to call her later. He closed the gate on her, very aware of Tim staring at him. But when he turned around, Tim busied himself with whatever was in the box he was in packing. Jason walked slowly into the kitchen feeling awkward. “Sorry about Kori," he said as he opened the fridge and fished out a Coke mostly so he'd have something to do with his hands. “She's a little on the friendly side.”

Tim's face was red. “She seems nice," he offered quietly. “I didn't realize that you did…  _ those _ kinds of appointments.” 

“Those kinds?” Jason asked. 

Tim was uncomfortable when he straightened up. “Steph said you were a wedding photographer? But that… was?” 

“Boudoir,” Jason told him, chuckling when Tim blinked adorably at him, “And before you ask, no it isn't porn. It's a form of sensual photography. Kind of like a pin up but just a little naughtier.” 

“Naughtier?” Jason liked the way it rolled off his tongue. 

“Look it up,” he told him. “If you like it, I'll do a session for you. Your boyfriend would love it.” He winked, having to physically drag his eyes away from Tim as he went back to his office to upload the pictures. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.


	2. Chapter 2

“So there was a girl in her underwear in my room today,” Tim said instead of hello. 

“Brunette or redhead?” Stephanie's voice was calculating like she was waiting to react. 

“Redhead,” he told her. 

“Oh. Okay. Kori is awesome. She was just messing with you. I'll tell her you're off limits and she'll keep it PG for you. If there is ever a brunette waiting at the door, keep walking. Text Jason and go get some coffee. You don't need to be there for her.” 

“He's just taking their pictures right?” he asked as he stared at his door. 

“That witch wants him to do more. It's painful to watch. And I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire.” 

He asked Stephanie about her first day and they shifted to that. He listened to her complain, but she sounded happier than he'd ever heard before. “And then Beryl called him something, I didn't even understand what she said, and he went all red in the face. I thought for sure we were about to start an all out brawl. But then the guy's friend started laughing and it all just stopped.” 

“Sounds like Beryl is still up to her normal shenanigans,” he offered. While Beryl had been in America studying she had ended up as Stephanie's roommate. Her step-father was a knight or something and wanted her to get a rounded education. Tim had never been able to tell if he could believe her, but he had been glad when Stephanie had told him that Beryl had offered her a place to live.

“It's been three years are you still not over that crush?” 

“I didn't have a crush on her,” he snapped feeling like he was eleven all over again. He wanted to change the subject, but if he tried Stephanie would keep pestering him about the crush that had never existed. He took a deep breath. “Do you think Conner would like one of those photoshoots Jason does?” 

Stephanie was silent. He had succeeded in distracting her, but now he had to wait for her response, and it sounded like she was building up for a great one. “What?” her voice was barely above a whisper. 

“Those boudoir shoots. Do you think he'd like it? I'm still stuck on what to get him for our anniversary. Since he can't come here I thought maybe I'd send him something.” 

“Did Jason ask you?” her voice was flat. 

“He told me he would do it if I wanted one.” Stephanie didn't respond right away. A few seconds of silence and he deflated. “I'll think of something else. It was a stupid idea anyway.” 

“Keep it on the list, but I'm sure we can think of something else.” Stephanie had never really understood their relationship. She didn't trust that Con wasn't off in Hawaii flirting with all the girls in bikinis while he sat by waiting for his phone call. She'd stopped complaining about him when Conner had shown up the day before his parents’ funeral. He knew she still didn't like him, but she had accepted ‘that thing they had’. The rest of their call was a mix of their days, ideas for his present, and Stephanie telling him about some funny thing Beryl had done. 

-

Tim was talking a client through rebooting their computer while petting Darcy where he had laid across his legs when Jason walked in. He offered a quick wave and went back to petting the dog who was pulling grumpily at his arm. “Okay, so it's off. Now the button we just pressed press it again for two seconds then let go.” He looked over at his laptop sitting on the coffee table. His eyes traveled up the leg blocking his view. Shoes that he had never seen outside of an ad, pants that looked like they had been painted on. He had a moment to enjoy the smile offered him before he realized who was smiling down at him--in his underwear and a cheese ball stained STAR labs shirt. 

“It opened. Thank you Timothy.” He jerked back to the phone. He looked at his laptop and clicked on the icon so he could make sure that everything was running right. 

“No problem Ms. Abernathy. Call me if you need any more help.” He had given her his personal number which he knew was against all company policy, but she'd told him how much nicer he was than the last few people that had tried to help her and he hadn't been able to let her go through that again. 

Darcy whined when he sat up but trotted off to Jason's room with a wary look at Dick Grayson, heir to the city of Gotham, where he was still standing next to the couch. 

“Jay's not here?” Dick asked. 

“No, he is doing someone's engagement photos out by the river.” He wiped off his shirt and shifted down the couch. Dick sat down and propped his feet on the coffee table next to his laptop. He looked like he was settling in to wait. Tim stood up. “I'm going to go put on pants.” Dick looked down at the bumblebees on his underwear and cocked his head. He ran to his room before his face could burst into flames. He called Stephanie as he dug through his laundry basket for a pair of pants. She answered as he fell over. 

“Tim? Are you there?” he grabbed his phone off the bed. 

“Why is Dick Grayson in my living room? Does he have a key? Why does the universe hate me?” he whined and buttoned his pants. 

“Dick and Jay are like best friends forever. I swear they have matching bracelets hidden away somewhere. Yes, he has a key. And what did you do?” 

“Nothing. I'm going to go back out there. Anything else I should know?” he asked. Stephanie made a small noise and he hung up.

“This is one of my dad's,” Dick said poking the computer with the toe of his shoe when he stepped back into the living room.

“Umm, yeah. The company I work for does all the tech support work for Wayne Enterprises, so we get some perks.” He pulled his laptop away and set it under the table. “That's not my department though,” he added. 

“So how do you like living here?” 

“Oh, umm. It's nice. Jason's hardly ever home, but Darcy keeps me company. Food's better too.” He kicked the jug of cheese balls behind the couch as he sat down. “I don't really know when Jason's going to be back. Did you need something?” 

“No, Barbara is at work. I'm bored. What are you playing?” That was how he ended up playing Overwatch with a billionaire for most of the afternoon. Dick didn't seem bothered when he had to stop to answer calls. He was probably used to it seeing as his father ran one of the biggest companies in the country. Dick got bored after a while and stretched out on the couch, kicking his shoes off before sliding his feet into Tim's lap while he played. 

“Tell me about yourself.” 

“What do you want to know?” 

“Oh, just the little things. You know, dreams, aspirations, views on marriage.” 

He laughed. “I don't know if I have any dreams. Aspirations… Aren't those the same as dreams? And I don't really see myself getting married.” 

“Not even to that boyfriend of yours?” He glanced over to Dick who was watching the game. How did he know? 

“Maybe if we were on the same continent for longer than two months. But right now? No.” 

“No other guys had you wanting to pull the trigger and get hitched?” Dick glanced over to him. 

“You want a run down of my dating history?” he asked as a joke. 

“If you aren't busy.” Dick looked serious. 

He frowned then shrugged. “What the hell. Umm. First girlfriend was when I was thirteen. She broke my heart. My first boyfriend was that next summer. He flew by me on the track at camp and I was in love.” He laughed. It had felt like love. Kissing him had felt like the whole world had stopped spinning so it could last forever. “My prom date just asked me out to make one of her friends jealous. We didn't keep dating after that. I didn't really date in college. Hooked up here and there, but nothing serious. Conner wasn't even supposed to be serious. Spring Break fling that stuck.” 

“Who'd you kiss first, girlfriend or boyfriend?” 

“Stephanie. She kissed me when she broke up with me.” 

“Wait. Like Stephanie Brown? That Stephanie. You two dated?” 

“We held hands for two weeks and said we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't know if that's actually dating.” Dick hummed and looked at him. “Anything else you want to know?” 

“Not at the moment,” Dick replied with a smile. 

Jason got back a few minutes after that. He retreated to his room as Jason started telling Dick about how awful the appointment had been. 

Jason had been looking forward to going home and maybe shutting his eyes for a few minutes before he got back to work, but he should have known Dick would be there. He was always there at the exact moment when Jason didn't want him to be- but to be fair, he was also there every time he needed him. That was the only reason he hadn't taken back his key. It was also the only reason that he wasn't fuming in jealous rage when he came home to see him and Tim getting cosy on the couch. They blinked up at him all innocent with their dark hair and pretty eyes and the fury dropped right out of him before it had a chance to start. 

“Good. Now I don't have to bring you your photos," he grumbled, dropping his equipment on the kitchen table. 

“Well don't you look all shiny and happy today?” Dick grinned at him, feet blessedly dropping back onto the floor. Jason gave him a pained look and he just grinned wider. “What? Bad session?” He asked getting up to meet him as Jason overfilled the coffee pot to make it as strong as possible since there would be no napping. 

“I thought Babs was bad with all of her ‘no’s’" Jason told him earning an eye roll that he ignored. “All this bride ever said was no. She greeted me with a list of positions she wanted to do and wouldn't take any directions and she always wanted to be under a fucking tree… I had to set up full gear at every change to keep the shadow off her face. And her fiancé was texting the entire time.” 

“Dude.” Dick shook his head sympathetically. 

“I know," he groaned and pulled out two mugs for coffee without asking. He looked over to the couch to see if Tim wanted a cup, but he was already walking back to his room his hips swaying, unintentionally pulling Jason out of his rant. 

“You are seriously pathetic, do you know that?” Dick asked as Jason watched Tim all the way into his room until the door closed, arm still half in the cabinet. 

His face heated immediately and he frowned, but refused to acknowledge it. “I assume you want your coffee black and disgusting?” he asked and pushed the mug at Dick. 

“It's only disgusting because you suck at making coffee.” Dick rebutted, but sipped at his coffee happily, “Just like you suck at making friends. And dating… and you know, talking to people.” 

Jason glared at him, turning to grab the creamer from the fridge a bit more forcefully than he meant to. “Did you come here to reprimand me about me about my people skills? Or did you actually need something?” he asked too annoyed and tired to deal with this. 

“I came here because I love you," Dick told him. But the way that he said it sounded like there was a lot more coming. “And I had to know what it was about this guy that you are hung up on.”

His heart sank and looked back at the door to make sure it was still shut. “What did you do?” he hissed under his breath. 

“Nothing, calm down. I just asked him about his dating history- completely organic to the conversation we were having,” he added quickly. Jason doubted that. Dick was about as subtle as an elephant on a trapeze. But that didn't mean he was super obvious about why he was asking. “Did you know he dated Steph? How weird is that?” 

“She told me," he deadpanned remembering the earful he had gotten earlier that week about offering Tim a boudoir shoot. “She's not super thrilled with me right now.” 

“Is she ever?” Dick asked but Jason just stirred his coffee and waved his hand to get him to get to the point. “The point is, he hasn't dated a lot, he seems to like his boyfriend though. No interest in marriage yet. But, really that's it. That's all I know. And honestly, I think that's more than you know.” Here it was. The speech. “You have known this guy for like three weeks and you are loopy over him without even knowing his middle name, just because a dog likes him.” Jason was pouting. He knew he was. Dick continued. “I just don't think it's smart for you to try and pursue this.”

“I'm not pursuing anything.” He sighed. 

“But you will,” Dick told him. “You always do, and it  _ always _ bites you in the ass.” 

They drank their coffee quietly for a minute as Jason digested everything Dick said. He was right. It was Dick's most annoying quality to always know exactly what to say and how to say it. He had been with Jason through his worst break ups and his worst relationships and he knew exactly what Jason was willing to do for the people he cared about. Disregarding sense was up pretty high on that list. “Are you going to come look at these pictures or not?” he asked finally and led Dick into his office. 

-

Tim didn't come out of his room for the rest of the day, only coming back to life in the morning when the smell of coffee pulled him into the kitchen. Fuck, if he wasn't cute when he was tired. He had a groggy look on his face and his nose was wrinkled at the bridge as he squinted his way to the counter where Jason set a mug out for him. He was in flannel pants and some dorky space show t-shirt that Jason's dad used to like. He didn't say a word as he sat on one of the stools, only looking up after half the cup was gone. 

“Hi,” he said finally, his voice cracking a little. 

Jason bit at his smirk and focused on slicing the French loaf in front of him. 

“Hey," he replied barely glancing up. Tim was watching Jason’s hands like it was a tv show. “I thought you might have died. I was about to call Steph, but then I would have had to tell her about the tub of cheeseballs I found behind the couch.” Tim’s face pinkened and Jason smirked at him, grabbing the coffee pot when he dropped the slices into his batter mix and topped off Tim’s mug. “Sorry about Dick by the way, I forgot to tell you he had a key. It's for emergencies- but almost everything qualifies as an emergency.” 

“It's fine.” Tim shook his head seeming dazed. “It just kind of freaked me out? Like, I've read about his dad a million times, just never thought I would actually see a Wayne in person.”

“They aren't all that they are cracked up to be,” Jason muttered maybe a little darkly thinking about his many interactions with Dick's father. He was a good man and Jason knew that he had good intentions. They just rubbed each other the wrong way. Bruce tended to overstep and Jason tended to lash out. Their relationship was shaky on its best day. But he didn't want to talk about that. “What's your middle name?” he asked to change the subject. 

Tim blinked at the abruptness of the question. “Jackson. Why?”

Jason shrugged and held his hand over the pan on the stove to check the heat and then dropped the toast into it. “No reason.” He shrugged. “You better like French toast. I promised Steph I would feed you, but I cannot live with someone who doesn't like breakfast foods.”

“All she eats is cereal,” Tim complained stealing a piece of bacon.

“Stephanie is a heathen. But I needed her for work. So it evened out.” 

Jason continued making him breakfast for the rest of the week. Then one day he added dinner to the routine. A dinner that consisted of Jason slumping through the door and throwing whatever they had in the fridge between bread. It was one of the strangest sandwiches Tim had ever had, but it had been delicious. He told Jason about the man who complained that his computer wouldn't print, but didn't actually own a printer. Jason told him about the Bachelorette party who wanted professional photos to remember their night out. The bride had tripped and taken everyone down with her. They'd all fallen into the lake. He showed him the pictures he'd gotten of them yelling and choking out wet coughs at each other. 

The next morning Jason left a plate of pancakes on the bar, and a note that said he'd be back around lunch. Tim spent the morning answering a few work calls and watching Family Feud by himself. Stephanie texted him as he answered the door and was hit with scent of the Chinese food he'd ordered. Jason walked up as the delivery guy walked away. 

“Please tell me some of that is for me?” 

“Maybe. I think I might be able to spare a piece or two,” he tried to tease, but felt awkward. Jason nudged him and grabbed the bag. 

“Grab me a real fork,” Jason called as he headed for the couch. He brought back a can of coke for Jason and poked him with the fork as he sat down. 

“Porn!” Jason shouted. Tim looked over to him as the contestant said ‘bugs’. 

“You would hate to find porn?” Tim said with a laugh. 

“Wait. Oh. I thought he said something you found under the bed.” They listened to the rest of the answers as he snickered. Jason was as vocal for the rest of the show, shouting the answers at the tv like they would hear him. He ate his broccoli and snickered as they criticized the answers. 

“What the fuck?” Jason gasped as the last missing answer was revealed. “Ooze bodily fluids?” he looked at Tim. “Do you ooze bodily fluids in your sleep?” 

“Not anymore,” he said with a wink. Jason barked out a laugh. He didn't think it had been that funny, but he smiled as Jason laughed. Jason sat with him for two more episodes before his phone went off and he grabbed his bag, heading back out. 

-

Stephanie ignored his call and texted him that she was ‘asleep fucker’ when he called her, bored out of his mind. He'd been flipping channels since Jason left and some quiz show came on. He texted Conner that he was bored. He was pretty sure that he was still in class. Tim was walking Darcy in the park down the street when Conner called him. He answered and let the dog tug him after a squirrel. He couldn't help but root for the old guy to actually catch it. 

“Hey, how was your day?” Tim asked. 

“Long. We had presentations all day. My name splits the class so I didn't know if I was going to present today or Wednesday.” He listened to Conner talk. The familiar cadence of his voice soothing the loneliness he'd been feeling for the last few hours. 

“Any weird people today?” Conner asked. He'd always wondered about the people he helped after Tim told him about the guy who had a screenshot of porn as his desktop. 

“No. I only got one call. Spent most of the morning watching Family Feud. Jason is terrible at it. He was home for lunch and I swear he got-” 

“Don't really want to hear about him, Tim.”

“Jealous?” he asked, as a joke. 

“Honestly, yeah.” He froze, finally hearing the tendril of anger in his boyfriend's voice. 

“You're the one that told me to move in with him,” he stated, trying to stay calm. The last fight they'd had Conner had hung up on him because he'd gotten “ _ snappy _ ”. He didn't want to risk it happening again when there wasn't even anything to fight about. 

“Well I didn't know he was hot when I said that.” 

“So you don't trust me?” his voice was flat. 

“I don't trust him,” Conner said earnestly. 

He laughed. “I'm not some irresistible sex God, babe.”

“God Tim, look in a mirror more often. You're hot. I don't know why I keep having to tell you this.” It felt a little ridiculous that his boyfriend was yelling compliments at him. The lady standing next to him thought so too if the snort he heard was anything to go by. 

“Thanks. I think... You know you have nothing to worry about. I'm with you and Jason's entire living is looking at beautiful people all day. He's not interested.” 

“I don't think I trust you with that knowledge. I had to put my tongue down your throat for you to catch on that I liked you.” He laughed and Darcy bumped into him. It was his way of leaping into your arms. He agreed under his breath to the dog and headed back to the apartment. “If I could hear about your day without the hot artist guy in it, I'd love that.” 

-

Stephanie called him at five in the morning. He squinted at the screen before answering with a mumbled, “‘lo?” 

“How do you like that?” she cackled. 

“Why’re you so awake?” he slurred

“Cause it's noon here.” He blinked almost asked Stephanie where she was when his brain decided that it was going to turn on and it clicked. “What were you calling about yesterday?” she asked when he was silent for a few seconds. 

“I was bored. Conner called later though.” 

“Ooh. You guys get hot and heavy?” 

“No,” he snapped, feeling bitter. “He actually got mad at me. He doesn't like me living with Jason. Cause he says I'm like actually something to look at-- or something. As if Jason would actually like me. Then we talked about the rest of my day. And I tried, but he had a study group or something that he had to get to. It's been three months. I'm tempted to add an event to his calendar.” Stephanie was quiet for long enough that he looked at his phone to make sure the call hadn't dropped. “Steph?” 

“What? Oh sorry. That sucks. Have you asked Conner about it. Three months seems like a long time. I mean weren't you guys doing it like every night.”

“No!” he hissed. “You walk in on me one time and it's suddenly every day?” 

“One was enough,” Stephanie said with a groan. “Go back to sleep loser. My client just got here. Miss you!” She screeched at him. 

“Miss you too,” he replied as robotic as he could. The line went dead with the sound of her laughter still ringing in the darkness. 

-

Tim was half asleep as he spread butter over the not as burnt side of the toast. Jason walked in and smiled when he saw the bowl of oatmeal and stack of toast. 

“I didn't know you were a chef,” Jason said. Tim was pretty sure he made some noise of acknowledgement as he turned back to get another cup of coffee. After Stephanie's call he hadn't been able to get back to sleep. He'd fiddled around on his phone for a while before deciding to get up and make breakfast at least once. He knew Jason would be up early for an appointment. He practically had Jason's schedule memorized since he walked by the giant calendar on the wall every day. 

“I can make most things with my trusty sidekick.” He patted the microwave. Jason turned the toast over and tapped the nearly black side. “My toaster was different?” Jason still ate the toast. Tim watched for a grimace, but didn't see one. 

-

It felt like he blinked and Jason was walking back into the apartment with a fruit basket in his arms. “This was in front of the door?"

He yawned and stretched as he got up.“I didn't hear anybody,” he offered and looked at the label. It was for him? He pulled out the envelope shoved between too pears.

“Not a very romantic present from your dude,” Jason said stealing one of the strawberries. 

“It's not from him,” he replied popping open the envelope

“You got a secret admirer?” Jason pressed leaning in to see the page he pulled out. 

“It's a job offer,” he replied. He skimmed the page before letting it slide across the counter. 

“What? You sure he just wants to offer you a job?” Jason asked. Tim looked at him for a moment before he started dismantling the basket. “Cause it looks like he wants your dick," Jason continued when he didn't respond. 

Tim laughed. “How did he know fruit is the way to my heart?” He grabbed a bundle of grapes and popped them in his mouth as Jason put half of the basket in the fridge. 

\---

Tim could not cook. Jason had been warned that it was bad, but he had assumed that Stephanie was exaggerating because she was, well, the worst. But in this case she wasn’t wrong. He had eaten the toast because Tim was cute, and honestly he didn't have time to make anything himself- but he hadn't expected him to keep trying. He came home two nights later to his oven sitting open and Tim on the floor in front of it- a chicken pot pie laying upside down on the door with a story Tim did not intend to share. The next night he managed to make an entire pot of pasta stick so hard together that Jason had to break it out of the pot with a tenderizer. They ordered pizza. Tim pretended it never happened. Two days later he caught Jason's panini press on fire- something Jason didn't even know you could do but he would never doubt it again. So on Sunday, the only day that Jason had off, he rolled out of bed around noon happy and half dressed, fully intending to have the run of his kitchen. Until he walked in to Tim frowning at a butchered cabbage. 

“What are you doing?” he asked before he could regret it. 

“Cooking,” Tim said cutting another crooked slice, so close to his fingers that Jason barely managed to hide a wince. 

He pursed his lips, standing in front of him across the island. “Cooking what?” 

“Stir fry," he grumbled while squinting at his phone. 

“Cabbage stir fry?” Jason asked and grinned when Tim glared at him, stealing his phone and ignoring Tim's protest. He grabbed his glasses off the counter and skimmed the recipe he was looking at. “Okay," he said. “You have to throw that away.” He motioned to the chopped part of the cabbage. 

Tim frowned, “but it said shredded-" 

“Shredded not murdered.” Jason rolled his eyes and came around the counter and grabbed the knife from him. He brushed the ruined cabbage away and turned the head of cabbage so that the cut edge was facing down, then made long thin slices. “Like this," he told him. He offered Tim the knife back and he took it hesitantly. Jason took his hand as soon as he had it and pulled him in. “And curl your fingers of the steady hand so your knuckles are flat with the blade. The way you are cutting, you'll lose a finger," he told him and let his hand go.

He felt Tim watching him as he grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and poured a cup of coffee that was half sugar. But when he turned back he was cutting the cabbage again, slowly, the way Jason had shown him. He took the flat skillet off the burner and pulled his wok out, adding oil and salt as he turned the heat down to low to let it heat slowly. He hopped up on the counter next to the cutting board and grinned broadly when Tim looked up at him startled and a little red faced. “What are you doing?” 

“Observing.” Jason shrugged and sipped at his dirty sugar, opening his phone camera. “I figured someone should see you in your final moments," he said snapping a picture. 

“Ha ha.” He deadpanned pushing the less horrible cabbage to the side and pulling out an onion. It was painful for Jason to watch him dice it but he managed not to push him away and do it himself. 

“Hey Tim?” he said when he moved into the chicken. He hummed, concentrating on the cutting board. “Not that the last week hasn't been fun, but why all the cooking?” 

He still didn't look at Jason. “You cook all the time. But I'm here more. I should cook too.”

“I  _ like _ cooking.” 

“I like cooking too," Tim said and his hand slipped letting the knife slice through his finger. “Shit!” Jason slid off the counter. 

He grabbed Tim’s hand by the wrist and pulled him over to the sink and turned on the faucet. “It doesn't look that bad.” He muttered when the water ran most of the blood off to show a shallow cut. “Hold on," he told him and went to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit. 

Tim was pouting when he came back, staring at his finger like it had pulled a Brutus on him. Jason just rolled his eyes and shut the water off. He handed Tim a paper towel to hold pressure and before he could argue with him, he picked Tim up by his hips and set him on the counter. His face was beet red but he didn't argue with Jason as he rummaged through the kit for the peroxide.

“Okay, I don't like cooking," Tim admitted as Jason dabbed him with a cotton ball. 

Jason shot him a look that said, ‘ _ No shit, Sherlock _ ,’ but instead he said, “So why are you cooking?”

He bit his lip and groaned when Jason tabbed him with an alcohol swab. And maybe it was the sting that got him but he spat out, “Because I haven't had sex in three months and if I don't concentrate on something then I might explode.” 

Jason knocked the first aid kit over. Well shit. 

He bent down muttering to himself as he threw everything back into the box. Who the fuck says that? Exactly what they mean whenever they mean it. Did he know Jason had a thing for him? Surely he couldn't be completely oblivious- it wasn't like he was trying to hide it. But no, he had a boyfriend and Tim didn't strike Jason as the kind of guy that was a tease. Jason looked back at him to tell him to put pressure back on his cut and caught him staring wide eyed and dazed, directly at his ass. He grinned. Tim saw him grinning and was instantly mortified. “Timothy Jackson Drake," he admonished grabbing the mess of his first aid kit off the floor. “Are you ogling me?”

Tim could hardly speak he was so red. “No! I wasn't - I just spaced out and-" 

“Objectified me.” Jason shook his head and grabbed his hand again to put a bandage on. “Your only friend.”

Tim was furious and Jason loved it. He wanted to spend every day annoying him into this adorable expression and then he wanted to melt it away, kiss him until Tim couldn't remember that he was mad in the first place. “You are  _ not _ my  _ only _ friend.”

“Stephanie doesn't count. She is a parasite.” He grinned when Tim couldn't come up with another name and finally pulled him back off the counter. “Throw this all away," he told him heading back to his room. 

“Why?” Tim asked startled, “Where are you going?” 

“I'm going to show you how to actually make a stir fry," he told him glancing over his shoulder. “But first I'm going to put a shirt on so you don't accidentally impale yourself.”

-

“So there's this girl,” Dick started. Again. He had said this same sentence at least ten times since they had gotten to the suit shop. There was this girl in his yoga class. There was this guy at his dad's company. There was a client at his gym who would be absolutely perfect for Jason- who was too sad and obsessed to think about any dick but his roommate's. 

“Let me guess, blonde.” Jason rolled his eyes and flipped through the magazine as Dick got measured. “Leggy. Has a mouth on her and will try anything once," he said listing everything that Dick had gone over with the others. They always loved dogs. They always loved to cook. They were always  _ ‘perfect _ ,’ and everything Jason was looking for. But what if he didn't want those things? What if he wanted someone his  _ dog _ liked. What if he wanted to  _ teach _ someone how to cook and watch bad game shows with…

“Redhead actually," Dick corrected. “Super tall and kind of intimidating. She does private contracting for my dad and came in when we were looking at the shoot you did for Babs and me. She asked about you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “She getting married too?”

Dick made a face at him. “She asked like she was interested in meeting you," he told Jason like he was an idiot. “And I said that you would love to go out with her. Friday at eight after your last appointment.”

Heat ran up his neck. “Dude-"

Dick held up his hand. “I called Tim and he said you didn't have anything books so don't. It's one drink with one girl. Get over yourself and attempt to be happy. Please. For me. Your best friend in the entire universe. The man who has-"

“If I go, will you shut up?”

Dick grinned and straightened his tie before he mimed zipping his lips shut. 

\---

Jason walked into the living room and Tim stopped. His entire being froze as he took in the new pants, he knew they were new because he'd never seen them before. He'd definitely have remembered them. Jason shifted, shirt clinging to his muscles. 

“What?” Jason asked. 

“Huh?” 

“What? Do I look weird? Dick made me wear his clothes.” That explained the change. He'd never seen Jason in much more than tees, baggy jeans and jackets. He at least was wearing the same pair of boots that he always wore. 

“No. You look good,” he croaked. He swallowed and dared a glance at Jason's face. He'd done his hair.  _ Fuck _ . “Important client?” he remembered Dick asking if Jason had free time a few days ago. He hadn't seen anything added to the calendar so he thought it hadn't worked out. 

“A date.” Tim's stomach swooped and he felt his smile harden in place. What was wrong with him? “Dick insisted I wear this,” he wrapped a scarf around his neck, “Do I look stupid?” 

It looked good, but he shook his head. “No scarf. Hides your jawline.” He waved his fingers in front of his own jaw to emphasize his point. Jason stared at him for a long moment before pulling the scarf free and tossing it on the couch. 

“I told him so. Oh fuck. I'm going to be late. You sure I don't look weird?” 

“Yeah. You look good, really good. Have a nice date.” Jason made a face and hesitated at the door. He shook his head before pulling the door open. 

-

Kon didn't answer his phone. He sighed. He hadn't answered his phone the last few times Tim called, and he couldn't remember the last time that Kon had called him. He felt restless, like he had for the last few weeks. He didn't want to think about it, but a small voice in his head kept telling him that he was about to get dumped. Stephanie hadn't disputed it the last time he'd brought it up, instead she'd deftly changed subjects and he hadn't even noticed her lack of answer until his shower. He scrolled through his texts with Kon. They didn't seem any different than they'd been before. He stopped on a picture Kon had sent him of his new trunks. Maybe he could visit. The voice in his head that sounded too much like Stephanie told him it was a bad idea. His mood started to turn. Tim scrolled further, passing by pictures of the sunset and one of a smashed coconut. The #mood underneath it made him smile. 

His hand was in his boxers before he'd even remembered the hidden folder on his phone. He scrolled through the pictures. His hand moving slowly as he imagined Kon actually being there. He pulled his shirt up and pushed his boxers down. He flipped pictures. Memory of the night they'd had after that one dinged while he was out at dinner with Stephanie had his hips jerking. He closed his eyes. He'd been holding off for the last week or so, wanting to come with Kon's voice in his ear or on the screen in front of him. He couldn't wait any longer. He ran his thumb over the head and shuddered. He was close. He rocked into the circle of his fingers. His breath was loud in the silence of his room as he worked himself closer and closer. His hips jerked in a sporadic rhythm. 

“Hey, Tim?” 

“Fuck,” he hissed as he came, back arching off the bed. He slumped back down and didn't want to open his eyes. He hoped he'd imagined the door opening and the voice calling out to him. 

Jason was still standing in the doorway when he opened his eyes. They stared at each other for a few seconds. He pulled his boxers back up, wiping his hand on them. Maybe he could pretend it hadn't happened. 

“H-How was your date?” he asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn’t horrible. She was stiff and proper, her back so straight that it made Jason feel like he needed to climb into a bell tower and stay there. He had been sure that she would turn out to be prude and judgy, but when they started talking she was, there was no other word for it, cool. She had grown up in Europe on some continate that he could not pronounce and had more sisters than Jason had friends. She was funny. She was gorgeous. She was very much  _ not _ Tim. 

He felt like an idiot when they parted ways at the restaurant, him turning down her offer for a night cap in favor of going home to his dog and empty bed. He silently left out the  _ and totally taken roommate he was crazy about _ . He was chalking the night up to be a dud as stepped into the elevator when he noticed the large red wine stine at the beltline of Dick’s shirt. He groaned in frustration and pulled it over his head as he pushed into the apartment, heading to the sink. He scrubbed at it, but it was dry and set and stubbornly trying to make his life more hell than it already was. He was about to just throw it away when he saw the stupid tub of cheese balls behind the couch and it occurred to him that Tim was constantly covered in cheese dust but none of his clothes were ever stained. 

He crossed the living room convincing himself that this was a perfectly good excuse to bother Tim at eleven in the evening. “Hey, Tim?” he called pushing open the barely cracked door and stopping dead as Tim shouted and came all over his chest. 

His heart thumped and Jason could feel his pupils blowing outward, suddenly very aware that he was half naked. He dropped the shirt as Tim babled out a question. And with a very painful swallow, Jason stepped back into the hall and shut the door. 

He stood there with his hand on the doorknob waiting for it to turn in his palm. If Tim came after him he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. He would kiss him. He would fuck him. All he had to do was open the fucking door. 

But he didn’t. The door stayed shut to him and slowly Jason stepped backwards into his room where Darcy was lying on his bed, tail wagging when he shut the door on the offending one across the hall. Darcy ‘hurmf’ed softly at him and lifted his head just barely as Jason sank down next to him and let his heart beat back to normal. Once he could breathe again his pet the poor dog who had been waiting for him and when that wasn't enough, Darcy got up and pushed on his chest until Jason laid back and let the dog tuck into him. “I think that was the hardest thing I've ever done.” he grumbled into his fur and the dog wolfed softly at him again. “Yeah, Yeah.” he mumbled and closed his eyes. “I'm an idiot.”

-

Tim was in the kitchen when Jason walked out of his office around noon, stopping mid pour to stare at Jason like he wasn't sure whether he should be mortified or not. Jason had thought about it all night. Whether or not he should say something, and apologize about walking in on… that. But ultimately decided that he would address it only if and when Tim brought it up. Jason adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. “Can I have a cup?” he asked, pointing at the coffee pot. 

Relief oozed out of Tim and he smiled at the counter. “Sure.” he and easily like he had no idea that he was the cutest thing Jason had ever seen. 

-

They continued to not talk about it every day for a week. In the morning when Jason would make breakfast before midday shoots and after chasing the dawn. Sometimes around lunch he made it home to watch an episode of Top Chef with Tim as they ate everything in the fridge sandwiches. But every single night without fail, Tim waited up for him and they would put on the pretense of watching game shows before they just couldn't stop talking for hours. 

Jason was pretty sure he could now slay a double Jeopardy about Tim, he knew so much useless information. He knew that Tim was afraid of Grasshoppers. But just grasshoppers. He had picked up a cockroach with his hands out of the bathroom the other day and put it outside because he didn't like the crunching sound of them getting squished. Jason knew that he knew absolutely nothing about sports except for very specific hockey players stats. He also knew that Tim was very content in the fact that he had no idea what he was doing with his life. He shrugged when he talked about it. “I'm twenty two.” he said like it was an explanation. “I feel like it's a right of passage to have no fucking idea what you want.”

Jason smirked passing the pint of coffee ice cream with the spoon he'd stolen from Tim back to him and Tim took a bite without pause. “Most twenty two year olds don't have multimillion dollar corporations knocking down their door with fruit baskets of love because they are tech wizards.” Jason pointed. 

Tim snorted. “I don't do IT cause I like it.” he told him. 

“Then why do you do it?” Jason asked. 

Tim opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again not seeming to have an answer. 

So Jason asked a counter question, “What do you like to do?” 

And Tim went red. He looked at Jason bashfully and shook his head. “I don't want to tell you.” he admitted taking another spoonful of ice cream. 

But that only made Jason want to know more. “Why?” 

“Cause it's...stupid.” he said through his too big bite and Jason took the pint away. 

“Your Hopes and dreams are not stupid, Timothy.” he admonished pointing the spoon at him. “And if you don't tell me I'll just call Steph and-” 

“I like photography.” he blurted and then shoved his face into a pillow like he was trying not to scream. 

Jason blinked his heart thumping stupidly again. “And that is stupid why?” he asked. 

“Photography isn't stupid.” Tim sighed when he finally pulled his face back up. “But telling you feels stupid.” 

“Thanks?” 

Tim rolled his eyes. “Jason, you know how hard it is to become a successful photographer!” he half yelled at him in exasperation. “It's so rare to get enough success to actually form a business out of it. Most people work at it for years and never get their feet off the ground. Not everyone is you.” Jason narrowed his eyes at him and Tim threw the pillow. “Don't look at me like that!”

Jason dropped the pillow into his lap and looked at him, an idea forming that he knew wholeheartedly that he needed to run away from. But he couldn't. “You know Steph couldn't focus a camera before working with me right?” Tim snorted and Jason held a hand up. “I'm serious here!” he handed the pint back to Tim who watched him suspiciously. “I have been looking for an assistant since she left. Everyone sucks or they think I'm horrible.” Tim shrugged. He knew Jason was horrible. “But you are already used to that.” 

Tim blinked, understanding dawning in his eyes. “No…” he shook his head slowly, convincing himself. 

“Quit your shitty job.” he told him. “I pay better. And I'll give you an excuse to leave the fucking apartment.” he jumped up and covered Tim's mouth before he could say no again and Darcy barked at him. “Think about it.” he told him and ran off to his room before Tim could say no again. 

\---

“Tim. You'd have to talk to people. To their faces.” Stephanie added, before he could remind her that his job was to talk to people. “And you'd have to go outside.” 

“I go outside.” 

“Walking Darcy doesn't count. You would have to drive places.” He hesitated and Stephanie's voice softened. “Have you told Jason?” 

“No.” 

“Tim.” He could hear her disapproval. 

“I'm fine.” Even as he was saying it he knew she would be upset. He couldn't blame her, she'd been there for the days after. The days when he was smiling and laughing and telling her that he was fine when he could barely breathe, when he was seconds away from breaking down. 

“Tim.” 

“I'm fine now.” He was, for the most part. There were still days when he woke up and throughout the night had forgotten, then he'd be eating breakfast and he'd remember. 

“You don't have to lie, and you don't have to be fine.” 

“I'm fine. Okay?!” He snapped. If she had even been close to believing him he knew she wouldn't after that. He pushed on before she could say anything more. “It sounds like you're trying to talk me out of this. You've wanted me to quit my job for forever.”

“I do! That job makes you miserable. I'm not trying to talk you out of it. I just want you to be realistic. It's not going to be you and Jason hanging out the whole day.”

“I know that.” 

“You need to tell him. If you can't even talk about it now, what are you going to do if you have an attack?” He didn't have an answer to that. He knew Stephanie knew that too from the pointed silence coming from the other side. “I love you, Timbo, and I want you to be happy. If you really want to do this, then do it. But if you had made up your mind, why did you call me?” 

“I-I uh-” He didn't have a reason. Not one that made any sense anyway. He bounced all of his ideas off of Stephanie. It was what they did. If they weren't sure about something then they called each other. Stephanie had called him when the offer came for London. She'd been worried, about moving, about leaving her friends behind, about being alone. He'd pushed her to accept. Stephanie always went for what she wanted, but there were times when she needed him there to remind her that she had somewhere to land. And she was there to remind him to look first on the rare times when he wanted to make the leap. 

“Tell Jason. Let him know what's going on in your head, and if you still think you can do it, then go for it, but he needs to know.” 

“Okay,” he agreed. 

“Go to sleep and tell me how it goes.” 

-

Jason hummed as he flipped the chicken. Tim sat on the counter across from the stove and watched him cook, like he did most nights. Jason had come home looking tired, but happy. He had overbooked his schedule so he could fit in a birthday present for a dad who was overseas. Jason had walked around the apartment putting away his things and changing while he told Tim how cute the kids had been playing with their dogs. He knew that this wasn't the best time, but he needed to say it. 

“My parents are dead. I'm sure Steph told you.”

Jason froze, spatula tucked under the chicken. He turned and looked back at Tim. 

“It happened back in May. I was in the car when they died. They were laughing about my kindergarten graduation one second and just gone the next. They died and I just broke my wrist and got a bruise.” He touched his chest where the seat belt had dug into him. “I couldn't go to their funeral. I tried, but I couldn't get in the car. I'm pretty -uh- fucked up about it. I haven't driven or ridden anywhere since. It's why I don't really leave the apartment. The last time I rode in a car I had a panic attack before we even got to the end of the driveway.

“I- I want to be your assistant, but I don't know if I can. I don't know what will happen if I get in a car. Stephanie said I needed to tell you. I should have told you a while ago. But I liked having someone that didn't know.” He met Jason's eyes and shrugged with a half smile. 

Jason offered him a small smile back. He looked like he was processing the information. He had dumped a lot on him. 

“You could still be my assistant. Answer my phone, manage that thing,” Jason pointed to the calendar on the wall with the spatula before turning back to the stove. “Holidays are coming up. I'll have more private shoots. I could use some help with editing.” Jason turned his head and frowned at him. He chuckled. Jason had ranted about editing for an hour the other night. Tim knew it was to put off actually working on the photos, but let him rant anyway. 

“If that's okay,” Tim offered. 

“I think I should be asking you that. You were kind of freaked the last time Kori was here.” Jason handed Tim his plate and he slid off the counter. 

“She walked in my room and started stripping. I didn't even know she was in the apartment.” 

“You would think that would surprise me, but it doesn't. She would do that.”

“I looked up some pictures like you said. I don't think anything would bother me.” 

“Mostly naked women?”

“My best friend is a woman.”

“And?” Jason scoffed. “Doesn't mean you see her naked.” 

“Stephanie likes to do photoshoots in the changing room. I've been the final stamp of approval on every bathing suit she's owned since we were sixteen.” 

“You guys have a weird relationship,” Jason mumbled. 

“Like you and Dick are normal?” 

“Touché.” 

“So, am I officially your assistant?” 

“I guess so. Speaking of Dick. Can you start by getting me a day off? I gotta plan Dick's bachelor party. And he won't let me just drag him to a strip club and toss a bundle of ones on the stage.  _ ‘Put some effort into it Jay. I'm only getting married once.’ _ You should have seen the dopey ass smile on his face after he said that.” Jason's imitation of Dick was higher pitched than Tim thought Dick deserved, but made him laugh nonetheless. 

“I don't know if I can get you a whole day off, would an afternoon work?” Jason stuck his tongue out at him. “I'm going to look forward to saying no for you.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“How many weddings did you do last weekend?” 

“Four.” 

“And you fell asleep in the middle of eating your sandwich Saturday night. I was tempted to just leave you there. So if I'm doing your schedule, one wedding a day.” Jason looked like he was going to dispute it. “One wedding.” 

“Fine. Saturday did suck.” 

-

Not much changed for the rest of the week. He answered Jason's phone instead of his work phone. He read up on editing and schedule management. He cooked dinner after Jason texted that he'd had a run in with a creature from the black lagoon. Jason walked in with mud on his pants and smeared across his cheek. 

“No more horses. Okay? They hate me and tried to stomp me to death.” 

“Try this,” he said, holding out the spoon for Jason to taste. 

“Needs salt. It kept shooting me looks the whole time. Like it was plotting my demise,” Jason's voice faded as he walked into his room. He came back out in clean clothes, mud still on his face. “And the bride got mud on her dress. I don't get it. You made garlic bread?” 

“If by made you mean I took the frozen loaf and put it in the oven then yes. I made garlic bread. Did you know that horse legs are basically giant fingers?” 

Jason looked up at him from where he was peeking through the oven window. He looked horrified. “No more horses,” Jason said looking back at the loaf. He heard Jason whisper what the fuck as he stood. 

“Did you get any good shots before the assassination attempt?” 

Jason pulled plates from the cabinet. “Yeah. They rode through a field and she looked like she was riding out of some fantasy novel.” Jason set the table and tasted the sauce one more time before the timer for the bread went off and he pulled it out. 

\---

December began with a week of weddings. A full seven days of Jason chasing after crazy women and smiling as they shrieked orders at him. The day after had four pregnancy announcements and the day after that was a grad photoshoot for a very unphotogenic nursing student that ran over by an hour. 

He hadn't even realized that he had fallen asleep when he was being shaken awake, jumping upright from where he had slumped over on his keyboard. He blinked sleepily at Tim who looked like he was trying not to smirk at him. “You do know that there is a bed in your office, right?” he asked, pointing at the plush set up behind him. 

Jason made a face and pushed his glasses up into his hair to rub his eyes. “I can't sleep in that bed.”

“Why?” Tim asked amused. 

Jason pulled his glasses back down and threw him a very serious look as he stood up. “That bed, young Timothy, is for very naughty things. Not for sleeping.” he booped Tim's nose in near delirium and grinned, Tim shoving him towards the door with a laugh. 

“Bed.” he told him, baring the door with his arm on either side of the frame. “You aren't allowed back in here until three tomorrow for your first client.” 

Jason liked bossy Tim. He just barely managed to not tell him that but he was sure that a semblance of it showed on his face. “Fine.” he told him dragging his eyes away from him lazily. “But tomorrow I’m the boss again.” he grumbled. 

“Sure.” Tim called nonchalantly as he closed the door.

-

His door was cracked open when he got up and Darcy wasn’t in his bed anymore. He threw off what little cover remained on him and pulled a hoodie out of his closet before he stumped out into the hall way still in his boxers. He pulled the hoodie over his head and followed the smell of already brewed coffee to the kitchen. There was already a mug sitting out for him with a sticky note on it saying,  _ drink me _ . He grinned pouring the coffee and heading to his office, trying to convince himself that it was the coffee that put that warm feeling in his chest. 

His glasses were sitting on his desk with another sticky note on them.  _ If you want to avoid breaking them, maybe take them off before you go to bed. _ He rolled his eyes, unable to deny that this warmth was all Tim at the idea of him taking Jason’s glasses off of him that morning. He was looking forward to basking in that warmth as he finished the edits on the third of the weddings from last week but it didn’t last. He had an email sitting in his inbox. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**FROM:** Stephanie Brown

**SUBJECT:** Watch yourself Todd. 

**DATE:** December 9, 2018 4:06 am

**TO:** Jason Todd

I see you replaced me. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


Jason blinked at the screen wondering how she managed to put so much ill contempt and malice into a single fucking sentence. 

  
  


\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**FROM:** Jason Todd

**SUBJECT:** Watching myself.

**DATE:** December 9, 2018 12:23 pm

**TO:** Stephanie Brown

I see you spoke to Tim.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


He pulled up the photo shoot as soon as he sent it expecting to wait for a few hours before he heard from her, but he hadn’t even started on the saturation when his email alerted him that he had a new message in his inbox. 

  
  


\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**FROM:** Stephanie Brown

**SUBJECT:** I’m Serious Jason! 

**DATE:** December 9, 2018 12:26pm

**TO:** Jason Todd

I know what you are doing and it isn’t cute or funny.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


Okay, now he was offended. 

  
  


\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**FROM:** Jason Todd

**SUBJECT:** RE: I'm Serious Jason!

**DATE:** December 9, 2018 12:27pm

**TO:** Stephanie Brown

I get that being angry and weird is kind of your thing, but I have no clue what you are being so pissy about.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


He didn't bother pulling the photos back up. His pulse racing as he waited for her reply. It took no time to show up in his inbox and he pursued his lips as he opened it. 

  
  


\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**FROM:** Stephanie Brown

**SUBJECT:** RE: RE: I’m Serious Jason! 

**DATE:** December 9, 2018 12:30pm

**TO:** Jason Todd

Tim is my best friend Jason. I know that I joked that you could do whatever if you fed him, but HE HAS A BOYFRIEND. Timmy is sweet and naive. You can’t fuck around with his feelings. He’ll get too attached. And he  _ likes _ you Jason. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


He resented that. Really resented that. Had it not been her that begged him to let Tim move in when she flew off to London and started her new awesome fucking life without them? Had he not told her that this was a bad idea? And now here he was, just trying to live with it and she was going to try and blame this on him. Jason knew his cheeks were burning. He had gotten too much pleasure out of Stephanie saying Tim liked him. He knew that she didn’t mean it that way, but this feeling was proving her point and he really didn’t want her to be right. 

  
  


\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**FROM:** Jason Todd

**SUBJECT:** My Assistant

**DATE:** December 9, 2018 12:36pm

**TO:** Stephanie Brown

Regardless of what you and Richard seem to think, I’m not some kind of hopeless horn ball who can’t keep my personal and professional life separate. I offered Tim the job because I have been drowning in the work that you have left me with-- why he chose to take it is his own fucking business. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do. 

If there is anything else that you need, contact me through my assistant. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


He hit send and exited out of the internet browser completely. His phone buzzed a couple of times alerting him that she had messaged him back and then his screen lit up with her number and a picture of the two of them singing karaoke after she found out she was going to London. He let it buzz and when it went off again he turned it off, focusing through his furry on the happiest fucking day of someones life. 

He was so tired of people telling him what he was doing and how he was feeling. He knew they didn’t mean it that way and that they thought they were helping him, but they weren’t. His feelings were just that-  _ his _ . And even if they did know what was going on with him they had no right to take that from him. Was he not entitled to his own misery? Pretend that this warm glow could go somewhere? Pretend for ten minutes that these sticky notes were from someone who cared about him as more than a paycheck? 

Darcy ‘awolf’ed at him as he pushed open the crack in the door and did his version of running, which was mostly just limping quickly, towards him. He put his nose into Jason’s hand and for some reason a sadness washed over him like he had never felt before. Tim came in after him, smiling a rosy cheeked as he peeled his jacket off. “It’s freezing outside.” he told him and walked over to Darcy, to disconnect the leash Jason hadn’t even seen was still attached. “I think it might snow soon!” Jason watched him as he walked happily out the door to hang up the leash and his coat and pour himself a cup of coffee thinking about Stephanie’s email. “So!” he sighed and dropped into the second computer chair by the wall, wheeling it over so that it was too close and he could see what Jason had done. “What are we working on? 

_ He likes you, Jason. _

He cleared his throat and pushed his chair out, standing up quickly. “I need to shower. Can you watermark these for me?” he asked. 

Tim blinked at him confused but nodded. “Yeah of course.” he told him and rolled in front of the computer as Jason marched across the room to take sanctuary in the bathroom. 

-

His hair was still wet when their first appointment buzzed at the door and Tim told them to come up. Jason tossed the towel that he’d been drying his hair with in his room and ran a hand through it till the dampness stuck it back. He stepped into the office and check the lense he liked with a few test shots with the lights on and Tim led a shy and pretty brunette into the room. “Lacey?” he asked and she nodded meekly. “I’m Jason. You met Tim?” he asked. She nodded, face already going red. Oh boy. He kept his sigh inward and invited her towards the scene with an open gesture, not touching her. “You said on the phone that this was your first time doing a boudoir shoot, right?” 

“Yes.” She barely managed to get out. 

Jason nodded, smiling easily at her, trying to draw her out of her embarrassment. “There is nothing to be nervous about.” he told her, “You are completely in control of everything here. You take off what you want to take off, when you want to take it off. If you want to stop, you just say the word, okay?” She nodded and he looked down at his camera giving her a moment. “Would you feel more comfortable with my assistant in the room?” he asked. Lacely looked over at Tim unsure. Jason held a hand up to cover his mouth and staged whispered, “He’s gay.” at her getting the first real laugh of the day from her as she nodded her consent. 

\---

“And then-” 

“How's Conner?” Stephanie asked. 

“He's good. Stressed. He read me lines from his dissertation last night. I know more about this one fish and I can't even say it's name. Kon kept laughing at my attempts.” 

“So you've been talking?” Stephanie's voice sounded weird, but she was getting ready to go to dinner with Beryl. He'd listened to the blow dryer for a few minutes while she tried to tell him about the latest work drama she was dealing with. 

“Yeah. He called after Thanksgiving. We talked about some things that I think we had both been letting fester.” 

“That's good. I was worried that you still hadn't heard from him.” 

“I know. I should have listened to you and made him talk to me, instead of letting myself worry. But we're good now. I think we'll be even better when he's presented and he can breathe again.” 

“That's really good,” Steph repeated. It sounded like she didn't mean it. 

“What is it?” 

“What? Oh. It's nothing. I might have been an ass for no reason.”

“Aren't you always?” he teased. 

“Oh fuck you. I am sunshine and daisies.” 

“Keep telling yourself that.” 

“Is that Timmy?” he heard Beryl ask. “Oh who am I kidding, of course it's him. You're all she ever talks about.” 

“Because I am amazing. I'm disappointed Stephanie, I thought you were my friend. You're supposed to tell people this.” He couldn't remember the last time he'd been in this good of a mood. 

“I worked hard enough making  _ you _ believe you were awesome. I did my duty.” 

“How's your boyfriend?” Beryl asked and Stephanie hissed. 

He ignored the outburst and answered, “He's good. Almost done with school so that's exciting.” 

“Oh yeah. He's in Hawaii.” Beryl's voice was flat with what sounded like confusion. 

“Yeah. He'll be stateside soon though.” 

“We should let you go. I'm sure that you have stuff to do. Tell Jay I say hello. Love you! Bye!” 

“Bye!” he rushed to answer before she hung up on him. 

-

Lacey sat on the bed and looked up at Jason. She looked so nervous. Her hands were wrapped tightly in the sleeves of the sweater she was wearing. Jason lifted his camera and snapped a couple pictures. 

“So tell me about your husband,” Jason said stepping to the side and lowering the camera. Lacey's eyes followed him. 

“Huh? Oh Jacob?” She smiled as she said his name. He could see some of her nerves easing. “He's my best friend.” 

“How long have you been married?” Jason pushed her arm back and she leaned into it. 

“It'll be our two year anniversary in January. I wanted to get him something special.” 

“He'll love it.” He watched as the shoot went on. Every time that she looked like her nerves were going to take over Jason asked a question and she relaxed. 

“He's a writer. He got his dream job right after we moved into our condo,” she said as she unbuttoned her shirt. “He's been traveling for most of our marriage.”

“Long distance is rough,” Tim offered. Jason looked over to him for a moment before focusing on his camera. 

“It is sometimes.” She chuckled. “Who am I kidding? Most of the time. But it's still his voice that I wake up to every morning and the one I fall asleep to at night. He's the first person I want to talk to when something happens. It's going to kill me that I can't talk to him about this.” 

Jason moved her carefully. He watched Jason for the rest of the shoot. Watched him smile and joke. Watched his hands as they cradled his camera and how softly he touched her as he tilted her chin back. Tim watched him blow that stubborn strand of hair out of his face every few seconds. He'd never seen him work before. It was like he was someone else. It was like he was dialed in on only her and nothing else mattered. He heard the phone ringing in the other room and slipped out. Lacey hadn't looked nervous for the last ten minutes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.


	4. Chapter 4

Jason was acting strange. They still ate together on days that Tim could drag him out of his office. Jason teased him any time he tried making something new and  _ almost _ got it right. He had dumped a fridge sandwich on Jason's desk one afternoon and Jason had looked at it then stood up. He'd spent the rest of the afternoon teaching Tim the  _ art of the sandwich.  _

But that was the only time Jason spent with Tim. He went out to dinner with Roy and Kori when they were in town. Let Dick drag him to a charity event. He spent more time out of the apartment than he had since Tim had moved in. 

Tim couldn't blame him. He'd freed up a lot of Jason's time. So he could finally relax and see his  _ actual _ friends. He should go out, not stick around the apartment with Tim. It was a good thing. He'd just gotten used to having Jason around. That was all.

He was bored and editing the Save the Dates Jason had given him. Technically he was done with work, but Jason was out with Dick and Barbara and hadn't told Tim when he'd get back. It was too early to go to sleep, and it wasn't like he had anything else to do. 

Kon called while he was adding the water marks. He listened to him talk about his classmates and the latest news about his meeting with his advisors. 

Darcy's head popped up and a second later he heard the slide of the elevator as Jason opened the door. 

“I have to go,” Tim said. He needed to talk to Jason about the schedule. “Yeah, love you too,” he answered stumbling over the coffee table that he'd moved closer so he could rest his legs more comfortably. Jason had stopped at the end of the couch and was petting Darcy. 

“Hey. How was your night?"

“Fine," Jason answered shortly. "Did you send out the Powell pictures?”

“Y-yeah.” 

“Cool. I'm going to walk Darcy. Goodnight.” He watched Jason walk back out of the apartment and headed to his room, feeling stung for a reason he couldn't explain. 

The next morning he watched Jason crumple up the post it note he'd left on his coffee. 

-

Stephanie finished her story and asked him how his day was. He gave her a short answer. She'd never liked those. “You haven't talked about Jason in a while. Everything okay?”

“I didn't want to bore you. I realized I'd been talking about your old job, like you didn't already know what it was like.” 

“Every photoshoot is different, and I liked hearing about your day.” 

He covered his face with his hand. “I don't know if this is for me. I don't think I'm actually helping him. I was going to talk to him about maybe helping him find someone who can actually assist on shoots. It was a stupid idea. I talked to Miguel and he said I could have my job back.” 

“What? No. Tim, you can't. You sounded happy a few weeks ago.” He shrugged even though he knew Stephanie couldn't see him. Jason had been talking to him a few weeks ago. 

“It's almost Christmas,” he mumbled, taking an excuse that Stephanie wouldn't look too far into. “I am- I'm…” 

“Come to London. I was going to ask if you wanted to the other day, but you rushed me off the phone.” He'd heard Jason cooking and wanted a chance to talk to him. He'd only been reheating a frozen dinner and had disappeared back into his office before Tim had gotten out of his room. “Get out of Gotham. Come see the snow. It's actually white here and not all grey.” 

“Yeah okay. Can we go see Big Ben?” Stephanie agreed and they talked about all that they could do while he visited.

“Wait until after the holidays to talk to Jason okay? I think you just need a break.” 

“Okay." 

-

Jason had an early engagement shoot and was already gone when he woke up. He ate and messed around with a few photoshoots Jason hadn't gotten around to editing. He was finishing a photo when he realized Darcy hadn't come to bother him yet. Normally the dog came out and stared at him while he ate then they went on their morning walk. Maybe Jason hadn't left the door open wide enough. Sometimes Darcy refused to walk out of the door if it was closed too far. He'd seen him push doors open, but there were just certain days that small cracks freaked him out. 

“Darcy? You ready for your walk?” 

Darcy was still on the bed, curled up on Jason's pillow. 

“Hey buddy? Walk?” 

He stepped closer when the dog didn't move at all. He always got excited by the W word and looked years younger than the white hairs on his face suggested. 

Tim touched Darcy's shoulder and pulled his hand back. “No. Oh no.” He stepped back, staring at the bed. He grabbed his phone. 

Stephanie answered on the third ring. 

“Darcy's dead,” he blurted. 

“What?” 

“He's dead. He's dead and I don't know what to do.”

“Is Jason there?” 

“No. He's at a wedding. Do I call him? He's going to- it's Darcy,” he told her. “He can't be dead. I can't tell Jason that. He's his best friend.” 

“I'll call you back,” Stephanie said after a moment. He stood in the doorway staring at Jason's bed. Maybe he'd made a mistake. He was just sleeping, playing some cruel joke on Tim. Like dogs had the concept of practical jokes. If they did Darcy had a terrible sense of humor. 

“Tim, what are you doing?” He turned around. Jason was putting his bag down on the coffee table. 

“Nothing! But stay over there. Okay?” He looked at the phone in his hand. He needed Stephanie to call him back immediately. 

Tim looked like a crazy person. Jason reminded himself that Tim was kind of a crazy person to begin with, but this was a new level. He looked like he wanted to cry and scream and laugh all at the same time. He instantly felt horrible for all of the space he had been putting between them. Had something happened? Was Kon okay? Had they-  _ stop it- _ he told himself and tried to be logical for a minute. He was standing in the hallway next to Jason’s door looking like he wanted to cry. So either he had just been walking around or he had been looking for him. But Tim wrote his schedule. He knew that Jason wasn’t home. “Are you okay?” he asked taking a careful step towards him and Tim’s eyes got bigger. 

He rushed to him, his hands flat on Jason’s chest holding him back. “You have to stay there, okay?” he told him on the edge of hysteria. 

Jason grabbed Tim’s shoulders as gently as he could and rubbed them. “Did something happen?” he asked softer. Tim kept looking at his phone desperately. Jason frowned at him. “Is it Steph or Kon, or-” he looked up at the hallway where his bedroom door had been left open and only then did Jason realise that something was missing. He looked down at the ground all around them, Tim pressing his lips tighter and tighter together as he tried to hold in what was watering in his eyes. “Tim, where is Darcy?” 

Tim just hugged him around his middle and shook his head into Jason’s shirt. He stood there for a moment in the hug knowing what it meant. He knew what this hug was but he couldn’t make himself believe it. A lump was forming in his throat as Tim stepped away from him and Jason moved him to the side so that he could walk into his bedroom. He stood at the door for a minute before he could make himself move over to the side of the bed. Darcy looked like he was sleeping except for the fact that his chest wasn’t moving. He put a hand on his head, the lump burning when he felt cold. “Hey buddy.” He rubbed his side, eyes burning. “It’s okay.” 

He sank onto the bed with his back to the dog, dropping his head into his hands trying to breathe deeply. He knew this was coming at some point. Darcy had been old when he had adopted him. There was a creak from the doorway and he looked up expecting Tim, but it was Barbara who was standing in the doorway, phone pressed to her ear. 

“I’m here, see you in a minute,” she said to whoever was on the phone and stuffed it in the pocket of her jacket as she walked in briskly, dropping to her knees in front of him. He watched her, taking her in without actually seeing her. “Jay?” She asked tentatively rubbing his arms. 

“I don’t know what to do with him,” he told her, voice sounding as dead as he felt. He just couldn’t believe it, somewhere along the way he had convinced himself that Darcy was invincible, yet here they were. 

“You don’t have to do anything,” she told him softly. “Come sit on the couch with me, Dick is on his way.” 

He nodded and let her pull him up, pulling him by his elbow into the living room where Tim was sitting on the couch watching the door. He straightened his back when Jason walked out and looked concerned as Barbara deposited him on the couch next to him. Jason held his head with his elbows on his knees and Tim rubbed his back reassuring him that Dick was on the way as Barbara made coffee. A mug had just been placed into his hands when Dick finally got there. He pressed his lips together and raised an eyebrow at Tim who pointed to Jason’s room, before following him in. They were in there for a few minutes before Dick stuck his head out and said, “Babe, will you…?” he glanced towards Jason and she nodded taking Jason’s hand and leading him into the office. 

Barbara sat with him talking about nothing as he tried not to listen to what he knew was happening in the rest of the apartment. “Did Tim call you?” Jason asked after a few minutes, footsteps coming from his room out into the living room. 

She shook her head. “Stephanie called Dick. I was closer so…” she shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal as she squeezed his hand. “Tim didn’t know how to tell you. We wanted to be here before you got home but that didn’t work out.” 

He nodded, a little warmth coming back into him as his appreciation sunk in. “Babs, can I tell you something?” he asked. She hummed looking at him curiously. “You won’t judge me?”

“I'll always judge you,” she told him, the tiniest hint of a smile pulling at her mouth. 

“You can’t tell Dick,” he told her and the smile fell. He never kept secrets from Dick, she didn’t either- but she nodded anyway. “I’m pretty sure that I am in love with Tim,” he muttered. “Not that it matters or anything, but Darcy knew… and now that he’s… well, I need someone to know. Even if I can’t do anything about it.” 

Barbara grabbed squeezed his hand again and he looked back at her, a mock seriousness on her face. “He could do worse,” she told him and despite everything he laughed. 

They sat there for probably twenty minutes before there was a knock on the door telling them that it was okay to come out. Dick was waiting with a hug and Jason suffered through it feeling like he was sucking away his resolve the longer it went on. Barbara hugged him when he let go and pulled on Dick’s arm. “We are gonna take Darcy to the vet for you,” she told him. “Try to get some sleep. We will come back in the morning, okay?” he nodded and she turned to Tim. “Call us if anything happens?” Tim nodded too and they watched numbly as they left the apartment. 

They stood there for a few minutes, the quiet feeling like it was echoing around them in the absence of the space that Darcy had taken up. Jason didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to go in his room. He didn’t want to be alone. But he also didn’t want to be with anyone. He had always had Darcy for this before. He knew that he must have looked lost. Tim was watching him with his heart in his eyes, longing to say something to make it go away- and now that Jason admitted it, he knew that he loved him for that. He swallowed, turning to the couch. 

“Jay?” Tim asked tentatively. He turned around and saw that he was right behind him, a worn red collar in his hand, held out for him to take. “I thought you’d want to keep…” he started but that was all it took for Jason to break down. He sank onto the couch and hugged Tim around the middle sobbing like an idiot because he had no idea what he was supposed to do with that stupid collar now. 

Tim rubbed Jason's back as he cried. He wasn't sure what else to do. When his parents had died he'd never felt so alone and had just wanted someone to hold him. He wanted proof that someone was there. So he let Jason hold onto him until his sobs faded and he was just breathing wetly against his shirt. 

“Remember when he ate that pack of floss?” Tim asked after a while. Jason shuddered as he laughed. “And you had to pull it out.” Jason's laugh was stronger that time. 

“Or the time he ate Dick's shoe.”

“But no one knew because he'd thrown the remains in the trash,” Tim finished. 

“He farted in Steph's face once. Hopped into her lap slobbered all over her then turned and farted.” Jason leaned back against the couch and looked over to him. “I fucking loved that asshole.” 

“I know,” he said and pat Jason's hand. Jason caught his fingers. “It'll be okay. Well mostly.” 

“Mostly?” Jason said and held tightly to his hand as they sat on the couch.

“Mostly,” he repeated. 

Tim made them an early dinner, that was just microwaving leftovers from the night before, and Jason ate it mechanically. Tim turned on the TV and set it to a cartoon while he made calls and rearranged Jason's schedule. 

“You should get some sleep. Take my bed. I'll sleep out here.” 

“No. It's your bed. I can sleep out here.” 

“You can't even lay down. Just take my bed, please.”

“Fine, but you're not sleeping out here.” 

Jason dragged Tim after him. He was used to sleeping with people. Stephanie had culled any hesitancy he had toward it early on. But as he stared at the ceiling listening to Jason's deep breaths he couldn't help but wonder why this felt different. He'd been on the edge of asleep when he felt an arm wrap around his stomach. He opened his eyes and resisted the urge to turn around. Tim knew that Jason was just seeking warmth in his sleep, but he couldn't convince his heart of that. It thumped wildly in his chest as Jason pulled him closer. 

_ Oh Fuck.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.


	5. Chapter 5

Tim leaned over the counter breathing in the warmth of the coffee cup in his hands. It was already his third cup and he didn't feel any less exhausted. He'd gotten out of bed as soon as his epiphany hit him. He knew that he wasn't the best with feelings. He had always had issues noticing that they had changed. He'd been dating Stephanie for three weeks before he'd realized that he liked her. She had taken his confession in stride before asking what he thought they had been doing for the past month. He'd never been this blindsided before. Maybe it was because he'd pushed aside Jason's attractiveness from day one. But laying there with Jason's breath whistling against the back of his neck he was back in the moment with Stephanie's smiling face asking what he thought he'd been doing. 

He drained his cup and poured another. He only had three days. Then Jason would be with the Waynes and he was going to visit Stephanie. He could make it three days without spewing these newly realized feelings all over Jason. 

Or so he thought. 

Jason walked out of his room yawning before smiling at him. Tim gave him a too big smile back before dropping it to his coffee. “I'm making cinnamon rolls,” he mumbled. 

“I wondered what that smell was,” Jason said pouring himself a cup. He leaned against the counter next to him. Did he always stand so close? Maybe he wasn't that close. Tim was just focusing too much on it. It was normal. It was okay. Check on the rolls. 

The rest of the day went like that. Tim second guessing everything he did and trying not to make it obvious. If Jason noticed he didn't say anything. 

He spent the next day on his laptop in the living room, trying not to be too obvious when he watched Jason lead a patron back to the room. He moved to his room after grabbing the second tub of cheese balls. 

-

“Okay so what's wrong with you?” Stephanie asked as Skype connected. 

He wiped his face before shrugging. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You are an orange faced liar. Stressed about traveling?” 

He latched on to that excuse and they talked about his plans and what they were going to do for the week. He had things that he needed to tell her. Important things. And he knew he was putting off the inevitable, but he wanted to actually be looking at Stephanie when he told her. So he kept quiet. 

His flight left early and he was packed and out the door before Jason had woken up. He left a doodle of a melting snowman wishing Jason a Merry Christmas on the coffee maker.

-

He walked past the line of drivers with their signs. His eyes flicked across a huge white sign as he passed. He glanced back and snickered. His name was printed in the smallest font he'd ever seen. He pushed the top of the sign down and Stephanie was grinning at him behind it. 

“You're a loser,” he said as she launched herself at him. 

They got back to Beryl's apartment and Stephanie pointed him to a spare room. He hadn't even set his bag down before she asked, “What's going on with you?”

He took a breath. “Kon and I broke up.” 

“What? When?” 

“Tuesday,” he admitted. 

“I talked to you yesterday!”

“I know. I didn't know how to bring it up.” Stephanie stared at him like she knew he was lying. 

“What happened?” 

“I called him the other day and we talked for a while. It was pretty mutual. He's going to be in San Francisco. I'm in Gotham or here maybe. It's just a lot and neither of us wanted to work that hard on the relationship.”

“Okay…”

“Although my feelings for Jason might have been why the ultimate decision was made."

"What feelings?!” 

“I think we've been dating?” 

“Tim," she groaned and sank onto the bed looking like she was about ready to pull her hair out. "You're not thirteen anymore. You can't accidentally date someone.” 

“I know that, but I think we have. Or at least I want us to have been.” He told her about the dinners and the conversations. And, well, everything. 

“I know you don't have a lot of them, but that's what friends do, what roommates do.”

“I-I know that. But-” he cut himself off. “But I want it to mean more. Cause it does to me.” 

“Did you tell Jason?” 

“No. He's still grieving, and I realized it at the worst possible time.” 

“Don't tell him,” she said. He looked up, startled by her vehemence.

“Why not?” She looked at him, emotions conflicting on her face. He saw a flash of sadness and knew the answer. Jason didn't- He turned back to his bags and went through them for a few minutes, collecting his thoughts. “Weren't we meeting Beryl at a pub?” 

\---

Jason wasn’t feeling very festive. Not that he ever really did. Dick had been dragging him into the Wayne family Christmas every year since he was fifteen, and he had never ceased to feel like a burden. He knew that they didn’t mind having him there. They told him all of the time. Selina would fuss about how big he had gotten and ask Dick why he wasn’t drinking whatever water Jason was. Damian would complain that he already had enough siblings without bringing the fake one along, but Jason knew he just wanted to argue cause Jason was better at it than the others. Cass would play with his hair as they watched bad holiday movies- and Bruce would offer him a job. Again. Just like always. Just like they all did every single year- but this was the first year without Darcy. 

They were all skirting around him, still doing the same things but there was a little tinge of sympathy there that was almost too much for Jason to deal with. He wished that Tim could have come with them. He had pretty much gotten over the pitying looks that first day and they were basically back to normal again. But he was in London with Stephanie, who was being too nice to him to make up for being such a dick. Everything was just wrong. And now he was cold too. 

He flipped through the old copy of Pride and Prejudice that Bruce had in his library feeling miserable as he fell into a chair in the corner and settled on his favorite chapter. He remembered the first time he had seen it in the library, first edition and signed by the author, more expensive than anything that Jason had ever held and he knew that he would never want to sell it. He had been so young, between foster families once again when his father had lost custody to keep a bottle. The Waynes had always had so much and given so much and when he picked up his favorite book on the shelf, not knowing the value of it, Bruce told him to keep it. So he did. He read it over and over again, when thinking was hard and when he was stuck in a bed with two other boys. When he was cold and tired, when he was bored. He read the first edition of Pride and Prejudice until there was no value left in it, tattered and torn and dog eared. And when he realised what he had done, he put it back to spare it any more damage. 

“There you are.” Selina smiled at him from the doorway, he peeked at her over the top of his book and smirked before shutting it. “You know there are other books in the library.”

Jason shrugged. “It’s a tradition,” he told her. “And besides, this one is technically mine.” 

“Then why don’t you take it home?” 

“What reason would I have to come back?” he smarted at her and she pinched him. 

“Come eat before I decide against feeding you,” she grumbled at him, but stole the book from him so he couldn’t go back to it when she left. 

Jason took his time, but eventually made his way to the dining room, set for far too many people and piled high with food. Dick caught his arm when he came in and put a glass of wine in his hand before sitting Jason down between him and Damian. Dinner was lively and weird, all of them going over old stories and talking about the wedding like it was tomorrow rather than in four months. He mostly kept to himself until Barbara brought him up. They had been talking about wedding dresses. “Actually I was hoping to schedule a bridal portrait session in the next couple of weeks, while there is still snow.” 

“Name the time,” he told her. “I’ll make it happen.” 

“Business that bad?” Bruce asked with a frown, not liking that Jason could free up any spot. “You know you could always-” He jumped and went silent, Jason had a fleeting suspicion that Selina’s hand under the table was what did it. 

He tried his hardest to put on a smile, but he knew it looked forced because it always did. “Just the down season. Most everyone wants to get pictures taken when it isn’t freezing outside. Aside from your crazy daughter in law.” He shot her a look and it was all too easy to get her to respond exactly like he wanted, turning the entire argument back around and off of him. 

They moved into the den after dinner, all of the Waynes excited for their Christmas Eve tradition where they got to pick out one gift to open the night before. Jason grinned when Cass picked his and nearly started crying at a brand new pair of black ballet slippers. Dick got a new blow dryer from Barbara as a not so subtle hint to stop using hers. Damian got some kind of device that he pretended he didn’t want. Bruce got a new leather messenger bag. Selina got a black diamond tennis bracelet. Barbara got a set of super trashy romance novels that made her face go entirely red but she thanked Bruce nonetheless. And then it was Jason’s turn. 

He knew something fishy was happening when Selina claimed she had a special gift for him and the entire family straightened up when she brought it out. She placed the box on his lap and he felt it wiggle, immediately making a face at the Waynes. He both loved and hated this about them, their need to make all of the crummy things better when they should just let it be, but he also knew it was no use.

“You guys.” His throat felt a little tight. “This is sweet, really, but I don’t think I’m ready for another dog-”

_ “Meow.” _

He swallowed and pulled off the top of the box, a tiny white kitten looking up at him with untrusting and adorable little eyes. He was immediately in love and felt guiltier about that then he ever had about anything. 

“Her name is Ms. Bennet,” Selina told him as he pulled her slowly out of the box, she was so small he thought he might break her. “Bruce thought we should get you another dog, but I thought maybe-” 

“No.” Jason shook his head, knowing fully well that his eyes were a little misty when he looked up at her. “She’s perfect. Thank you.” 

-

Jason and Ms. Bennet had the house to themselves for almost a week before Tim got back from London. And in that time she had managed to climb his curtains, pee on the couch, and scratch the living hell out of Jason. He was in the process of bandaging up one of the worse ones, a gift for trying to be fucking loving to her, when Tim opened up the elevator and stepped into the kitchen. His nose was red from the cold and he looked tired from flying but other than that he was the same adorable Tim who smiled at him too openly until he realised what he was doing. 

"What happened to you?" He demanded pulling off his jacket. "I was only gone for two weeks. 

Jason made a face and pointed at the hell monster that was sitting on the back of the sofa purring in content. 

"The Waynes got me a pity pet for Christmas," he explained, wincing as he tapped the cut with alcohol. "She was really cute for maybe two days and then she decided that she was out for blood."

"Give me that," Tim told him rolling his eyes and taking the cotton ball from him. He took over the doctoring giving Jason the chance to really look him over as he worked. 

"So how was England?"

"Old and cold," he replied. Jason chuckled. Tim focused on the cotton ball. He'd forgotten how much he liked Jason's smile. "Actually I liked it a lot. We stayed in a literal castle. Our friend Beryl, Steph's roommate, has an  _ actual _ castle. I never believed her when she said she grew up in one." He dug through the first aid kit for a bigger bandaid. "Steph showed me around all of their favorite places and Beryl and I went on a Jack the Ripper tour while Steph was at work. I liked it more than I expected. Even with all the rain and snow. It reminded me of Gotham. I kind of wish I'd taken the job offer." He pat the edges of the band aid. "I think you're good now." 

Jason wasn't smiling when he looked up at him, but his lips twitched as he thanked him. 

"Are you going to introduce me?" Tim asked taking a few steps toward the kitten who had sat up to stare at them. 

"I wouldn't get to close," Jason warned. "Ms. Bennett has claws." 

"Ms. Bennett?" he asked and stepped closer. She looked harmless. He was sure that it was another devil dog situation and Jason was messing with him. She meowed quietly and walked over to him when he reached the end of the couch. 

"Yup. I'm getting a goldfish named Wickham next." 

"You're a sweet girl," he told Ms. Bennett as she pet herself on his hand. "Jason's just trying to keep you all to himself." He picked her up and she curled against him, purring loudly. 

"I swear. I didn't do this to myself," Jason said showing him the scratches on his arms. He looked down at Ms. Bennett and she mewed up at him. He looked back at Jason. "Now you're both judging me. Great." Jason through his hands in the air and stomped into his room. 

"He's so dramatic," he told the kitten. She looked up at him like she agreed. 

-

Things went back to normal. Jason spent most of his time in his office. The weather keeping most of the shoots indoors. Tim greeted the patrons with friendly smiles and always knew the sessions he'd be joining or the ones he'd spend watching Family Feud. 

-

He picked up the fruit basket on his way inside. He set the mail down and pulled out the envelope that was sitting behind a flower shaped pineapple section. Another offer. He set the basket down in the kitchen and stepped over to the trash can, but hesitated. He stared at the offer in his hands and set it down before breaking down the basket and dumping all of the grapes into a bowl. 

"What do you think MB?" he asked. She looked at him from her perch behind the TV. "Do you think I should move to London?" The kitten stared at him. "I don't know either," he mumbled and dropped the envelope on his desk before falling back onto the couch. 

-

"Tim?" He glanced up from the skillet. He was determined to get this egg done perfectly.

"What?" 

"Am I not feeding you enough?" Jason asked. 

"I just want to get this right. I didn't burn the last one." 

"I'm not talking about the eggs." He poked at the edge of the egg and it slid up. He scooped it out of the pan and slid it onto the plate. 

"I told you I could cook an egg." Jason leaned against the cabinet and looked at his egg. He tilted his head and grabbed a fork. 

"Not bad, but do you know why Ms. Bennett is orange?" 

He looked over to the couch. He was sure that he'd wiped it all off. He'd been petting her while working on editing one of Jason's shoots and hadn't thought about what the cheese puff dust would do to her fur. When he'd finally looked up she had almost looked like a cheese puff herself. 

"I thought I raided all of your stashes while you were gone." 

"You did. I bought more." Tim smiled up at Jason. "I'll give her a bath," he promised. 

"Well duh. I'd end up dead in the bathroom if I attempted that." Jason had a scratch on his nose from Ms. Bennett. He'd been sleeping on the couch and she'd decided she didn't want him there and had slapped him. Tim had had to hold back his laughter at Jason's abrupt landing on the floor. 

"I don't know what you did to her."

"I didn't do anything. She's just evil." They looked over to her and watched her clean herself for a moment. 

-

Tim walked down to the coffee shop, four blocks away, because he needed to get out of the apartment. The woman who was in the office had skeeved him out. He also wanted the carrot apple muffins they sold. He opened the door and took a step in when he collided with something hard. For a moment he thought he'd walked into a wall before he heard the groan of dismay and looked to see a girl sitting in a pool of coffee. She looked like she was going to cry any second. He rushed to help her to her feet and set her down at a table. One of the workers had already come out with a towel and a wet floor sign. 

"Can you make her order again? I'll pay for it." He took the towel and crouched in front of the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked. He waited until she nodded before offering her the towel. She took it and wiped at her face. 

"You don't have to pay for it." Her lip trembled and he sat down. 

"It's okay. I'm Tim by the way, and sorry for all this." 

She smiled weakly at him. It reminded him of Darcy when he was in trouble. "Scarlett. You really didn't have to." 

"I know. Where were you headed?" 

"Home. I have a test I'm studying for. Figured a gallon of coffee would do the trick."

He chuckled. They talked about her test, and her studies while they waited for her drinks to be ready. She was talking about the same professor that Stephanie had raved about when they called her name. He got up and carefully set them on the table in front of her. 

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ramble." 

"So photography?" he asked. She nodded, looking guilty. 

"I'm trying. I did a few graduation photos in May, but it's so hard trying to market myself and do school too." 

"You could work as an assistant, get some experience before you go do your own thing." 

"That's what my professor said, but I don't know anyone." 

"I might," he said. 

"You're not some psycho that's going to lure me into an abandoned building and remove my face are you? Cause honestly, I might still follow you if it meant getting paid." 

"Not a psycho. Promise. A friend of mine runs his own photography studio and has an opening coming up. Do you have a card?" She dug through her bag and handed him a card shaped like a pig snout. 

"It's unique," she said as an explanation. 

"I'll give you a call sometime. See if you can't come meet him." 

-

Tim knew Jason was impressed as he went through Scarlett's portfolio. Tim had been impressed when he'd gone through it. She was young, and experimenting with things, but he knew Jason loved that. He could see a little of the Jason that cooed over Darcy every time he shook while he talked with her. Jason handed her back her portfolio, but looked like he wanted to go through it again. 

"Thanks for meeting me. I love your work. I thought that Tim was lying to me when he said he knew you." Jason smiled over to him. "I have to run, but thank you again,” she said shaking Jason's hand a few times and bowing before she snatched her bag off the floor and fled. 

"Tim, why did you make me meet that adorable child?" Jason asked once the door had shut. 

"She'd be the perfect assistant for you."

"I don't need an assistant. I already have one."

"You need an actual assistant." He hesitated. He took a deep breath and looked up at Jason. "Also… I wanted to ask if you'd do a boudoir shoot with me." 

\---

He dreaded the appointment all week. Jason tried to keep things on their normal pace with Tim, working a little more closely with him to see what he had been doing so that he could take his duties back over until he got Scarlett trained. It was torture not asking him what he was going to do now, but he managed. Mostly he was just afraid that Tim would tell him he had taken the job in London and was moving out. Which made Jason feel pathetic because he hadn't even wanted a roommate to begin with and now he would offer to be his sugar daddy to keep him. So he kept his patheticness internal and tried to pretend that it wasn't happening. They watched game shows and worked and Tim attempted to cook. It was normal. 

But it wasn't. 

Tim was different. Jason couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was, but ever since he told him that he wanted the shoot he was more… more? He would come into Jason’s room in the middle of the night to tell him about a weird dream he had about a giant cheeseball. Or he would lean against Jason's back as he looked over his shoulder to check a photo for flaws. He brushed against him almost every time he walked by, sending little electricity shocks up his spine making it harder and harder to remind himself that Tim had a boyfriend while his brain fried. 

The morning of the shoot was no different. Jason had a few shoots already booked and Tim helped him with the lighting, staying in for one with a first timer before going back to work on his calendar. Jason could feel his heart beating more and more quickly with each passing minute of his last appointment, waiting for it to end and for Tim's to start. He was bound to do irreparable damage to their friendship. Just one slip up and he would cross a line he couldn't uncross. And that would be it, Tim would be headed to London and Jason would be alone with an angry email from Steph telling him what a horrible person he was. 

Maybe Tim was thinking the same thing. He looked nervous when he came in, fidgeting with the sleeve of his shirt. He had changed into the blue hoodie Jason loved and a pair of light washed old Jean's that were tight in all the right spots. It was all Jason could do to keep from staring at him as the nervous energy pushed a smirk onto his face. 

"You sure you want to do this?" He asked a little softer than he meant to. Tim nodded his eyes looking wide and doelike. Jason nodded and waved him in, pushing his glasses up into his hair as he fiddled with the exposure. 

Tim stood in front of the bed, hands stuffed into his pockets as Jason took a test shot and adjusted the settings again. He took three more until Tim looked absolutely perfect and when he peeked over the top of the camera, Tim flushed and rubbed the back of his head. "What?" He asked. 

Tim made a face and admitted, "I… don't know what to do with my hands."

Jason grinned and let the camera rest around his neck as he walked up to him and pushed him into the bed. "First things first, you need to take your shoes off,” he told him. "Bare feet are sexier than chucks."

"Don't tell me you are one of those guys," Tim grumbled, flushing harder and Jason pulled his shoes off. 

Jason looked up at him. "Don't knock a good foot." He pinched his big toe and stood up. "Comfortable is sexy." 

"But what about my hands?" Tim asked again holding them in front of him like it was an agony. Jason snapped it and Tim grimaced. He caught that too, unable to keep from laughing when Tim flipped him off. 

"How many of these have you done with me?" 

"Enough to know it isn't as easy as you make it seem,” he grumbled. 

Fair. "Well, why don't we start with something easy? Take off your jacket. Tell me something I don't know about you." 

Tim thought about it, pulling his hoodie over his head and Jason caught it in a series of shots. "I'm pretty sure you know almost everything about me," Tim admitted as he dropped the jacket and revealed the oversized baseball tee underneath. Jason paused for a moment, that was definitely his shirt. He knew that if Tim turned around he would see a small hole in the left side seam. He pushed it off though, maybe Tim had gone to Gotham High School. It was pretty big and he was a few years younger than Jason. It's possible that in the two year over lap they never would have run into each other. 

He swallowed and pulled the camera back up as Tim undid the button of his jeans. "Hold on,” he told him softly, walking toward. He ran a hand through Tim's hair to muss it up and when he stepped back again he looked perfectly fuckable. He took the shot and let Tim continue onto the zipper. "Why don't you tell me about Kon then?" He offered knowing he sounded like it was the last thing he wanted to hear about. He cleared his throat to get some of the pettiness out of it. "You hardly ever talk about him. I'm sure he did something pretty awesome to get you to do this."

Tim flushed again, looking down as his jeans as he dropped them. "W-well actually, we broke up before Christmas,” he said in a rush. 

Jason almost dropped his camera. He snapped a picture to have something to do but he knew without looking at it that it would be horrible. His voice was raspy when he spoke again, not daring to hope as he asked, "So who are these for?" 

Tim swallowed, his face turning so red that it would put spicy cheese puffs to shame. "You,” he said in a small voice holding his arm at the elbow like he was trying not to fall apart. "If you want them. But it's totally okay if you don't-" he started to babble but Jason had already taken his camera off and stalked towards him. He tossed the camera on the bed and pulled Tim off of the floor so he could kiss him without breaking his neck. Tim wrapped his legs around Jason's waist and gripped at his shoulder, the other hand knotting into Jason's hair. He tasted like mint and a little bit like coffee, and everything about him made Jason feel too hot but he never wanted that to end. He held onto Tim's ass as he moved them to the bed, depositing him in the middle of it as he looked over him, lips moving down to his jaw. "Wh-what about the pictures?" He gasped. 

"We'll do another session," Jason said into his skin. "But you are wearing my shirt and I will probably explode of I can't fuck you right now."

He didn't argue, so Jason took that as permission to continue his descent with his hands and mouth. Tim pulled at his shirt, dragging it over Jason's head as he trailed kisses and bites down his chest. Tim pushed himself up on his elbows watching almost mesmerized and Jason couldn't help but grin at him. "When is the last time you had sex?" He asked him. "Like real sex?"

"A while,” he said breathlessly as Jason pulled at the elastic on his boxer briefs, letting him loose. He licked a stripe up him before he took him in and Tim punched out a particularly loud "- _ Fuck _ -," that made Jason chuckle around him. Tim groaned trying to push himself up again but Jason held him down silently telling him to relax and just enjoy this. Enjoy Jason enjoying him. He felt Tim building the deeper he went, but when he was panting and pushing the hair back away from Jason's face he pulled off and kissed his hip.

"Not yet baby,” he muttered climbing back up to kiss him, "we aren't done yet."

Tim looked almost pitiful. "B-but-"

"You want me to make you feel good?" Jason asked softly. Tim bit his lip and nodded making Jason lean down to bite on that lip. "Turn over."

Tim had the best ass. If Jason could only have one thing to look at for the rest of his life, it would be this. He kissed the base of Tim's spine before he moved further down, letting his tongue relax Tim to the point where he had shoved his face into the pillow to keep from shouting. He added a finger, just teasing until he had to unceremoniously run out of the room to grab a bottle of lube before he got back to work. And only when Tim was quivering under him did Jason have to pull out to give himself relief from how hard he was straining against his pants. 

They finished getting undressed, Jason saved pulling his shirt off of Tim for last. And they just kissed for a minute, Jason needing to remind himself that this was real and not just a really great dream before he sat up against the headboard and Tim crawled into his lap. He sank onto him and Jason bit onto his shoulder when it felt too  _ good _ . " _ Fuck _ ." He agreed and Tim laughed until Jason thrusted up and the air was knocked out of him. Jason had wanted it to be slower, take his time and really ravish Tim, but he moved too well and all of his noises drove Jason to the edge that he barely managed to ride until Tim came across his chest and he let go. 

They stayed together, panting as they came down from the high. He looked up at Tim who was grinning at him. "So I guess you liked the photos?" He gasped.

Jason threw his head back as he laughed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.


	6. Epilogue

Scarlett grinned at Tim over her camera. When he looked over to her she chuckled and shook her head. 

"What?" 

"Try taking some pictures of the groom. You know the one paying us?" He looked down at the last picture he'd taken and shrugged. 

"Jason looks really good in his suit. I can't help it." Scarlett moved down the aisle toward the entrance. 

He did take a few more pictures of Dick. He didn't think he'd ever seen him look so nervous before. He looked down at his wrist, like he was checking for a watch that Tim knew for a fact he never wore. Then whispered something to Jason. He took a picture of their exchange and the unimpressed face Jason gave him in response. 

Tim's nerves didn't hit until the music started and the doors opened on Cassandra. She smiled and started down the aisle. He saw Scarlett snapping pictures from her spot and took a few himself. He made sure that he got a few of Bruce and Selina. Dinah stepped out next. He had met Dinah at the rehearsal dinner and she'd reminded him a little of Stephanie. They'd hit it off and Jason had been grumpy the entire way back to the apartment. He hadn't liked that everyone that hated him  _ loved _ Tim. "First the cat, now Dinah. If you and Barbara become besties I'm going to lose it," he'd said. 

The music quieted and a new melody started. As everyone turned to the doors he turned to Dick. It was the one request Barbara had given them. She wanted proof that Dick had wept when he saw her. The crowd murmured and Tim started taking pictures. Dick's face had lit up in a bright smile even as his chin wobbled and tears started to form in his eyes. He snapped a picture of the entire bridal party as they watched Barbara walk down the aisle, then focused again on Dick. He swiped at his eyes with a sleeve. Barbara stopped at the edge of the stairs and Dick stumbled forward when Jason nudged him. There were snickers from the Wayne side, but Dick only had eyes for Barbara. Even as Jim talked to him and let him take his daughter's hand he didn't look away. He made sure that he got as much of the pure adoration painted across his face as he could. They walked up the steps to the minister and Scarlett mirrored him at the corner of the audience. 

By the time the ceremony was done and Dick was dipping Barbara and kissing her with a flourish he'd taken more pictures than he'd probably taken in his life. He met Jason's eyes as the couple walked down the aisle and smiled. Jason offered Dinah his arm and they followed. Damian and Cassandra were the last two. 

Scarlett took over most of the portraits after the ceremony. He helped here and there, snapping blooper pictures. Jason and Damian dropping Dick on his face was one of his favorites. They claimed it was on accident, but he wasn't sure. Neither was Dick who had a red mark on his chin for the rest of the night. 

Jason draped his jacket over his shoulders while they waited for Dick and Barbara to finish their photos. 

"Dick cried like a baby," Tim said. 

"I know. I could hear him sniffling. I don't know why he made that bet. He cried when he saw her in her prom dress. And that was violet taffeta." 

"You have any other friends getting married?" he asked when the Waynes were called away and they were alone against the church wall. 

"No. Why?" 

He turned and ran his hands over the tie. "You should wear suits more often." He pulled the tie and Jason folded. He grinned before kissing him. 

"Tt." He turned, Jason's tie still in his hands. Damian was frowning at him. "They need him. And aren't you getting paid to take pictures?" He let go of Jason's tie. "Maybe you should do that." He reached for Damian's as he walked away, but Jason caught his hand. 

"They have other kids. They wouldn't miss this one," he grumbled. Jason laughed and kissed his cheek. 

"I feel better knowing that not everyone loves you." 

He stuck his tongue out at him as he backed away. "Save that for later, baby," Jason called. Tim felt his face heat as the entire lawn looked at him. He pulled the camera up and went to take test shots of the reception. 

Barbara laughed at the crowd standing in front of her. A mangled mess of elbows and scowling faces as they all fought for a spot. She waved the bouquet in the air then turned. Dick said something to her as he looked over the group of their friends. Scarlett was up at the front taking pictures, she kept laughing. Tim stood in the back watching them battle. He had lost Jason to a group of his college friends before Barbara had even called for everyone's attention. There had been a pretty serious bet going around on who would catch the bouquet, so everyone was gathered. 

Barbara bent down and tossed the bouquet with a big swing. He watched the group jump for it, but it sailed over their outstretched fingers. He dropped his drink when he realized that it was coming straight for him. He caught it and stared at the lilac and white flowers. "Yes!" Jason screeched jumping up with his arms flying in the air. "Pay up bitches." 

He looked up at Barbara who was looking back at him. She smiled. Dick kissed her cheek. Jason slammed into him, spinning him as he picked him up in a violent hug. He laughed and showed Jason the bouquet when he set him down. 

"You're next," Dick said as he passed them. He grinned. "No pressure."

"Give me a big laugh!" Barbara called, throwing her head and laughing as Dick guided her over to their parents. 

"Am I really drunk or did that really just happen?" Jason asked. 

"Both?" Tim offered with a shrug. 

"Marriage has made them really weird."

"They already were weird babe." 

"That is true," Jason said in a serious voice and wrapped his arms around him. They swayed to the music as the party calmed down and Dick and Barbara got ready to leave. 

The venue wasn't that far from their apartment, which Tim was grateful for. They'd both been on their feet all day. He wanted to go home, lay on the couch and sleep, but Jason wanted food so they stopped at a convenience store a few blocks from their apartment. 

"Jason, c'mere," he called. Jason looked over from the wall of sodas he was trying to choose from. He grinned as he pointed at the display rack. 

"No." 

"Please," he whined. "I've been so good. And look at the name. Poofy Puffs. How can you not love it?" 

"It's cheese dust and air."

"In multiple flavors," he held up two bags next to his face and smiled. Jason rolled his eyes. 

"Fine." 

"You're the best," he said and smacked a kiss on his cheek as he started trying to decide which flavor to get. 

They ended up getting all of them. Jason grumbled as he carried their three grocery bags of cheese puffs down the street. Tim smiled, tucked up against his side. 

Once they got home they settled on the couch. Jason's head rested in Tim's lap as they flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. Jason reminded him they had a few episodes of Family Feud on the DVR and he switched to that. He ate a cheese puff, then offered Jason one. By the final round Jason tasted like cheese and the couch was covered in orange dust and broken puffs. 

"Do you want to get married?" Jason asked, Tim's head resting on his chest as another family came out. 

"I do, but later. I like this right now." 

"Me too," Jason replied as his hand traced up and down Tim's spine through his shirt. "When you propose though it better be good." 

"Oh I'm proposing?" Tim asked, propping his head up to look at Jason. 

"Of course. You're the romantic one." 

"Says the guy that names his pets after Pride and Prejudice." 

"You're right. Maybe I should propose." 

"Hey. No. I'm going to propose and you're going to cry it's going to be so perfect."

"We'll see about that." He frowned at Jason and got a kiss. They stretched into a few more, but Tim's phone started ringing from the table and he grabbed it. 

"She asked me out!" Stephanie shrieked as he answered. 

" _ Finally _ ," Jason groaned. Tim smiled at him. 

"I know you haven't had a lot of them, but that's what roommates do," he told her. She growled for him to shut up. "What did you say?"

"I said yes of course. I'm going to be a princess, and live in a castle." Stephanie went on talking about where they were going on their date and how excited she was, when she finally got around to asking how the wedding was. 

Tim and Jason hobbled a story together. Then Jason finished with, "and then Tim caught the bouquet." 

He looked across the room where the bouquet was on their kitchen counter in a gallon jug. They needed to get a vase for it. It would probably look better in the living room, the light was better. 

"Hey Steph. We have to go. Tim's looking super cute. I need to kiss him right now."

"Ugh. Gross. Bye. I love you losers." 

"Bye Steph," Tim called and squeaked when Jason sat up and picked him up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.

**Author's Note:**

> All of our works are named after lyrics of songs that we love. This fic was name was named after a line in the song _[ Tear In My Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nky4me4NP70)_ by twenty one pilots. If you haven't heard this song, please follow the link and let a really awesome band sing to you about love. There is also a very wonderful, _[ukulele](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbwIqe91caY)_ version that is the tits. Follow the link to feel utter joy. 
> 
> If you enjoy our Jay Tim, you are in luck! We like them too. Our other Jay Tim stories are linked below!
> 
> __  
> [Bite Your Tongue](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15987014)  
>   
>  __  
> Well, When You Go.  
> 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> -Prubs


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